


Chemistry of a Car Crash

by WickedWitchoftheWilds



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Abuse, Canon Divergence, Comfort, F/M, Family Dynamics, Fighting, Genetic Engineering, Human OC - Freeform, I couldn't help myself, I have no self control, OC, Pre-Revolution, Slow Burn, Telepathy, Timeline Divergence, Violence, deviants everywhere, goes till after the revolution, what does it mean to be human
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-15
Updated: 2018-09-04
Packaged: 2019-05-23 14:27:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 35,044
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14936037
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WickedWitchoftheWilds/pseuds/WickedWitchoftheWilds
Summary: Connor and Hank investigate what they think is a normal case of deviancy and stumble onto something bigger. An underground fighting ring that uses androids as punching bags, a crime boss that gets underneath Hank's skin, and a girl at the center of it all. A girl that will make Connor question everything. Can he avoid becoming a deviant himself?*Hiatus*





	1. Starts With One I Can't Feel

**Trigger Warning: Violence, mentions of Abuse**

 

Audrey should have seen the punch before it landed. She was usually so much better at dodging. However, spending the last couple minutes getting the shit beat out of you tended to make you lose focus. Not just of the fight, but of herself. She was so much better at keeping them out. Everything was just so damn loud. Between the music and cheers and her own heart beating in her ears, her barrier was thinning.

_Hit her again. Break her nose. She better win. I bet my weeks salary on her. More blood. More. Not enough. Not enough. Not enough._

Thoughts pulled her away from the fight for a moment. It was just enough of a window. A fist crashed into her cheek and sent her reeling into the cage. Her fingers curled into the cold metal. Coppery blood filled her mouth. She was sure she was going to have grow a few new teeth after this. A cold gaze captured hers and she cursed inwardly. He was pissed. He would make her pay twice over for letting her guard down.

Audrey spit the blood through the chain-link into the crowd. It disgusted her the way they cheered and lapped it up like greedy animals. She had to focus. Only for a little while longer. Just a little bit more and the fight was over.

Her opponent was at her back, ready to land another hit, but Audrey was ready to end it. She turned just in time to wrap her arms around her opponent’s waist and tackle her to the mat. Bodies, slicked in sweat and blood, landed heavily. Audrey had the upper hand again. It only took a few seconds for her to right herself, one knee on either side of her opponent. Her hands balled into fists and struck again and again. Bone met bone. The skin of her knuckles split open. She wasn’t sure which blood smears belonged to her anymore. Her opponent’s jaw shattered from her concentrated hits. Just a little more. She had to.

_That’s enough. You can stop now._

Audrey stopped. She nearly cried from relief when she heard his voice in her head. Tonight’s fight was over. It was done. Trying her best to ignore the sound of her opponent choking on her own blood, Audrey stood up. The ref entered the ring to lift her hand in the air and declare her the winner. She didn’t hear him. Her mind was quiet again. The only thing she cared about were the deep blue eyes that stared into hers. The disc in the side of his head flashed yellow and then blue.

She pulled her hand from the refs and exited the cage. Tony stood up from this “throne” and held his hands out to her. He was happy she won, but wasn’t happy about the state she was in. He wouldn’t punish her in public. His sweaty hands gripped hers and she had to fight herself to pull out of his grip.

“I keep telling them they can’t beat you, but they keep sending fighters.” He said, more for the benefit of the crowd than her.

Cheers erupted around her. Tony placed his hand on her bruised cheek, smirking when she winced. Hands touched her shoulder, jerked her hair, patted her arm. She didn’t know what she hated more. The unwanted touching that she couldn’t say anything about, or the fighting itself. When they were done touching Tony’s trophy fighter, they gathered back around the cage, ready for the next fight. The only fights that were as popular as hers, were the android fights. Either two androids beating each other until only one remained, or a human beating an android that couldn’t fight back. Either one made Audrey’s stomach turn.

Tony turned towards the android at his side, “Take her to car while I collect.”

The android nodded mutely and reached for Audrey. Tony held up his hand to stop him.

“And no ice. Maybe she’ll remember not to leave herself open.” He sneered before finally turning away.

A cool plastic hand grabbed hers gently. There wasn’t much need to force her to go. She couldn’t wait to be out of the space. The smell of blood and sweat was starting to overwhelm her. Another hand pressed against her back to guide her bare feet away from any broken bottles on the ground. He never even let go of her hand when he was getting her into the car. She was grateful. It kept her anchored in her body.

Despite Tony’s order for no ice, she felt a cloth filled with ice gently press against her cheek. Her hand covered his and she leaned into the touch.

“Just for a moment. He’ll never know.” Luke’s soft voice drew a smile from her.

The skin on Audrey’s knuckles was already starting to knit itself back together. None of her other injuries were series, but she would be bruised to all hell for a couple of days. Luke pulled the ice away from her face and dumped the ice back in the champagne bucket. He used the moisture from the cloth to wipe some of the blood from her face.

The cloth strayed downward and she winced as he touched the sensitive skin of her neck. The skin he could reach. His fingers glanced off the metal of the collar that choked her every day of her life. The skin around it was red and welted. Her teeth ground together as he cleaned any blood from her neck as quickly as possible.

The door opened as Luke started to wipe at her knuckles. The metal of the car groaned slightly as Tony climbed in to sit beside her. Acrid smoke from his cigar made Audrey’s nose wrinkle. He purposefully blew a mouthful of smoke in her direction.

“I don’t know where your head was tonight, but you better get it screwed back on tight. Bruised faces are harder to cover up.”

Audrey didn’t answer. It was the only act of defiance she could muster. A small chuckle filled the car. It rarely meant that he was amused. Sweat pooled at the base of her neck. Her heart thudded against her sternum. She did her best to remain unaffected, but it didn’t matter. Tony knew she was afraid.

The car started to move, the lights of the city flashing by. It was silent. Tony hadn’t even bothered asking for his usual music. Her nails dug into her bare thigh. It was coming. It was just a matter of when. Luke was sitting adjacent to her his features schooled into a perfectly composed mask. His knee was pressed against hers. It was the only amount of comfort he could give her right now.

Before she could make a sound, Tony’s fingers were digging into her bruised cheek. He turned her face towards him. The smell of cigar smoke and whiskey made her want to vomit.

“You should answer me when I am talking to you. Or do we need to need to teach you manners again?” The other hand that still held a lit cigar was moving towards her. It hovered over her arm.

Audrey clamped her lips shut. She couldn’t, she wouldn’t, give him the satisfaction of giving in. She could fight. She was going to fight. The cigar came closer. The smell of burnt hair filled the car as it started to singe her arm hair. It was fine. She could take it.

_Audrey please._

She wanted to look at Luke, but she couldn’t. Tony still had an iron grip on her face. This wasn’t fair. None of this was fair. Tony could do whatever he wanted, but she couldn’t and neither could Luke. The android’s knee pressed harder into hers. If she didn’t relent he might do something. Then he would be nothing more than a deviant. She would lose the only friend she had. They would deactivate him.

Audrey finally nodded.

Tony pulled the cigar away from her and took a puff, “Are you going to be a good girl?”

Audrey went to nod again, but the hand that still gripped her face, stopped her.

“I want to hear you say it.”

“Yes sir.” She hated the way her voice trembled.

The car stopped in front of the mansion. Tony let go of her face and leaned back in his seat. The door opened and he climbed out without sparing her another thought. Her cheek still stung. Luke’s hand pressed against her back to help prod her out the door. The cold bit at her bare skin as she stepped out of the car. The stark white mansion loomed over her. It wasn’t home and it never would be. It was her prison.

“Take her straight to her room and clean her up.” Tony ordered.

“Yes Tony.” Luke responded.

Tony turned to her one last time, “Get some rest. Be ready for tomorrow. You will not embarrass me.”

“Yes sir.”

He was satisfied for tonight. He would leave her alone for now. The last she saw of him for the night was his back as he entered the house ahead of her. Luke’s hand was on her arm to guide her upstairs. The difference between cold, wet ground and cool marble barely registered to her. She stumbled on one of the steps, but Luke was there to steady her.

_I’ve got you._

Audrey felt like she didn’t breathe until she was secure in her room. It was like she could really see and hear again. A fire crackled in the fireplace, throwing a glow over the room. Her lights were dimmed. She wanted to do nothing more than crawl underneath the covers and go to sleep. It was the only time she could pretend this life wasn’t really hers. She could be anywhere else. Anyone else.

Luke guided her into the bathroom first. He didn’t even bother trying to talk her out of her clothes before he turned on the shower. She would undress when she was ready. She needed to feel a little more human first. The water hit her back, kneading her sore muscles. Blood and sweat washed off her like it had never been there in the first place. She finally shimmied out of her dirty clothes and they hit the shower floor with a plop.

Audrey lost track of how long she just stood underneath the water. Maybe it had been 15 minutes or an hour. What did it really matter? Finally, she turned the water off. Luke was waiting for her with a towel. Audrey wrapped it around her torso, while he grabbed another towel to help her dry her hair.

“What do you want to dream about tonight?” He asked, his voice gentle.

“Anything really. Someplace nice. What about you?”

His LED turned yellow as he thought of his answer, “I’ve always wanted to go to the beach.”

Her lips curved into a small smile, “I love the beach.”

“We could go. Just the two of us. Florida has nice beaches.” He leaned down and rested his cheek next to hers.

Audrey’s brown eyes met his blue ones in the mirror, “We could get a little cabin near the water so we could fall asleep to the sound of the waves every night.”

His smile matched her own. It was a nice thought. A human and an android running away together. A world where that would even be allowed. A world where he wasn’t an android trying to hide his deviancy and she wasn’t a human toy. Her heart ached.

Luke coaxed her into the bedroom, her pajamas were already laid out on the bed. He turned his back and tended to the fire while she pulled the oversized shirt over her head and stepped into her shorts. She was already climbing underneath the covers when he made his way over to the bed. It was always the same. He would stand beside the bed and wait for her to pat the empty space next to her. It had been the same routine for years. Even before he was deviant. He made her feel safe.

The blankets shifted as Audrey reach for his hand. His cool fingers threaded through her own. She turned her head to smile gently at him.

“The beach it is then.”

~

Connor kneeled down next to a body. He stared at the blood that coated his fingertips. Hank had long since gagged in his general direction before checking out one of the other bodies that littered the alleyway. Three in total. There wasn’t a strict pattern. It was just incredibly violent. This particular victim had several fractured ribs, a ruptured liver, and skull fractures. It wasn’t a quick death. There were traces of red ice in the blood. He wondered if that was the same for all the victims.

He had scanned them all, recreated the scene. The android had already been hurt and running when it was cornered by the three victims. Surprisingly, the humans did not go down easily. Connor attributed that to the red ice.

There was still a faint trace of thirium from where the android bled, but it stopped at the street. No other indications were left at the crime scene to give them an idea of where it had gone.

“Connor.”

Connor looked up to see Hank waving him over. Hank was holding up one of the victim’s arms. There was a troubled look on his face. Connor took note of the expression. He wondered what was bothering the lieutenant. As Connor came closer he could see what the lieutenant was staring at. A brand marked the inside of the victim’s wrist. He scanned the C had been burned into the victim’s skin. It was 4 months old.

“Is this significant lieutenant?”

Hank swore under his breath before answering, “Unfortunately.”

Connor tilted his head as he waited for Hank to continue. Clearly, whatever lead he had was troublesome.

“I think I know where we can get a lead on our missing android.”


	2. Shaken

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warning: Violence, mentions of physical abuse, scars

Audrey stared at the dress that was laid out on the bed in disgust. Her fingers plucked at her robe nervously. No part of her wanted to wear it. No part of her wanted to go. These parties were nothing more than opportunities to show off to his wealthy friends. To flaunt his successful business practices and to flaunt her like a show pony. Her skin already crawled at the thought of being pet and prodded all night.

Tonight was a night he was going to show off her bruises. Let everyone know how well-trained his toy was. How obedient. The scars, cigar burns, bruises only added to her appeal. She wasn’t meant to be pretty like an android. They considered the next step in human evolution. Strong, durable, and borderline brutish. It didn’t matter what he did to her, she healed like new. They practically salivated at the thought of being damn near invincible.

A hand wrapping around her upper arm made her flinch. Ava automatically released her and stepped back.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.”

Audrey shook her head, “No, it’s alright. I was just…thinking.”

Ava nodded before gesturing for Audrey to sit at the vanity, “I am tasked with getting you ready.”

“You don’t have to be formal with me Ava.”

Audrey sat down on the plush velvet chair in front of the large mirror. Ava turned on the lights that surrounded that mirror. The sound of a wrapper tearing was the only sound that filled the room. Ava pulled a cold mask from the packaging.

“I am not used to deviancy.” Ava admitted.

Audrey hissed through her teeth as Ava smoothed the cold mask on her face. It felt like someone had just poured a bucket of ice on her skin. Her cheek was still throbbing from the hit she took the day before. The mask would take the swelling down.

“I guess it’s something that gets easier.”

Ava grabbed a hairbrush and started to run it through Audrey’s hair, “I would hope so.”

Audrey spaced out as Ava started to pin her auburn hair up. Many of the androids that Tony owned were now deviant, but none of them left. Luke she understood. They were connected. Friends. He protected her and kept her grounded. The others could leave. They could find sanctuary. Maybe find a place to be free. They refused. Every last one of them. For the life of her she couldn’t understand why. They said it was for her, but why?

“If you could do anything, what would you want to do?” Audrey looked at Ava using the mirror.

Ava’s movements stilled, “I don’t know. I have never given it any thought.”

Audrey nodded thoughtfully.

“What would you do Audrey?” Ava peeled the cold mask off.

Audrey stared at herself in the mirror while Ava patted her face dry. It would be a lie to say she had never thought about it. Her eyes strayed to the metallic glint of the collar around her neck. She was never getting out of here. Not alive anyways. Ava’s gaze followed hers and she kneeled in front of Audrey to redirect her attentions.

“One day we’ll all be free. I have to believe it.”

Audrey offered her a small smile. It was all she could muster. She wanted to believe it. The only way she would be free is if Tony was dead. She doubted that would happen any time soon.

Ava stood back up and started pulling out makeup, “I like doing your makeup.” She did her best to lighten the mood.

“You could always be a makeup artist.” Audrey appreciated the change in conversation.

“Do you think so?” Ava smiled at her.

The door opened and the both of them tensed. Audrey hoped it wasn’t Tony. If he was looking for her, then she was late. And she would be in trouble. When Luke entered the room instead she let out an audible sigh of relief. He closed the door behind him.

He raised an eyebrow at her, “I am surprised you did not hear me coming.”

“I can’t hear you if you aren’t thinking anything.” She retorted.

_You look beautiful._

She rolled her eyes, “I don’t even have all my makeup on yet.”

“I know.” He leaned down and kissed her on the head.

Luke sat on the edge of the bed, “Guests are starting to arrive.”

Audrey made a noncommittal noise as Ava started on her eyeshadow.

“Don’t be surprised if things are a little tense tonight.”

 Audrey tried her best not to move, “Why would things be tense?”

“One of the fighting androids went deviant and killed three of the fighters. Detroit Police got there before any of Tony’s men did.”

Ava stopped what she was doing. Her and Audrey both turned to look at Luke. He was trying his best his concern behind a bland expression. Not just for the discovery of the dead fighters, but the deviant as well. Audrey couldn’t blame any of the fighting androids for going deviant. They were just for show. It appeased the people who had lost their jobs to androids. The ones that squandered their welfare money or drug money on the fights. It fulfilled the fantasy of beating the shit out of something they hated with no repercussions.

“A few are worried it could lead back to Tony.” Luke continued.

She scoffed, “As if it would matter with so many cops in his pocket.”

Ava resumed doing Audrey’s makeup. Many cops knew about the fighting ring, about the red ice operation, and any other side business Tony had his hands in. Money was enough to keep them quiet. And Tony kept their wallets full. DPD would care more about the deviant android than anything else. Still, she doubted they would stick their nose in this business.

It made Audrey angry. It was damn unfair. People like Tony should be in prison. Instead they’re allowed to do what they want. They’re allowed to inflict pain and suffering and profit from it.

Ava finally stood up and backed away, having finished. Audrey just stared at herself in the mirror. A stranger stared back at her. She hated the makeup Tony liked. It was too dark. Too angry. It wasn’t her. However, for the next few hours, it was who she had to be. She stood from the chair and stretched her arms over her head. Luke stood in front of her with her dress. She made a face at it.

_It’s just for a few hours._

She sighed, “I know.”

Audrey untied her robe and tossed it off to the side. Both Ava and Luke held the dress so she could step in it. It was a god-awful scrap of fabric that clung to her hips and chest. She didn’t know why anyone would bother making a dress that was low in the back, low in the chest, had cutouts around her midsection, and slit that went mid-thigh. At this point she might as well have walked down into the “benefit” in nothing, but her underwear. Ava fetched her heels and Audrey stepped into them.

This was it.

Luke and Ava were both behind her, having assumed their normal android expressions, as she walked out of her room. Tony was waiting for her at the end of the hall. He smirked and his eyes lit up as he took her in. It was easier to believe that maybe he cared for her when he looked at her like that. But she knew he didn’t see a person when he looked at her. He saw a pet. It was evident when his fingers rested on the collar that bit into her flesh and controlled her.

“Remember. Be on your best behavior tonight.” His fingers traveled up her neck to grip her chin.

“I will.”

“Good girl.”

He held out his arm and she linked her elbow with his. Luke and Ava held back as Tony’s guards took their places around him. He led her to the top of the stairs. Everyone turned their heads to look up at them. Audrey recognized many faces. Lawyers, doctors, scientists. Anyone with enough cash to throw at Tony were in attendance.

Their thoughts attacked her all at once. Lamentations about her beauty and her sex appeal. Questions about her cost and whether she could be bought. Images of what they would do to her. She clenched her mouth shut to in hopes of keeping the bile from rising into her throat. It was too much. Every thought felt like a physical touch. She felt violated.

_It's alright._

_Just breathe._

_I’m right here._

She didn’t dare turn around to look at Luke, but she felt him. His consciousness touched hers just long enough for her to compose herself. No one could know. No one could see. Tony, and everyone else, would practically shit themselves in excitement if they found out she was a telepath too. She kept her composure as they moved down the stairs.

_This is fucked up._

Audrey faltered going down one of the steps, earning a glare from Tony. Righting herself quickly, her eyes searched the crowd for the source of the thought. It was so different from the other’s in the room. Her eyes landed on a grey-haired and disheveled looking man standing beside an android. She definitely did not recognize them. The android stared her down, his LED flickering yellow before going back to blue.

“Fuck.” Tony swore under his breath.

Audrey glanced at him and saw he was staring at the man. His mouth had turned down into almost a snarl. It was not an expression she saw often. He usually wore it for people he found considerably contemptable or cops that weren’t on his payroll.

A small hope bloomed in her chest. A hope she was sure she was going to kick herself in the ass for later.

~

Hank and Connor stood in the foyer of the mansion. Connor noted Hank seemed more agitated than usual, but was taking more effort to conceal it. His brows were still furrowed and his hands rested deep in his pockets.

“Before we go in, I need you to promise me something.” Hank turned his attention to Connor.

“What is it Lieutenant?”

“Let me do the talking.”

Connor tilted his head to the side, his LED flashing yellow as he processed the order, “I am not allowed to ask questions?”

Hank shook his head, “Not here Connor. I’ll handle it.”

Connor opened his mouth to argue. Not asking questions about regarding deviancy went against his main protocol. He was to catch deviants at any cost. Asking questions was part of that mission. However, the look Hank gave him made him pause. It was not a look he had seen from the lieutenant before. It was almost pleading.

Connor finally nodded, “Very well lieutenant. I will let you handle the questioning.”

Hank let a breath, “Now let’s see if you keep to it.” He muttered.

Hank pushed through the doors to the main room. This was the last place he wanted to be. He could only hope that Campofiore would be cooperative and just answer the questions regarding androids. Hank wasn’t here to bust him for distribution of red ice, not that he hadn’t tried before, or the illegal fighting rings. Tony Campofiore was someone that just couldn’t be touched. Too many people were paid off to protect his interests. Hank almost learned that the hard way.

Connor stayed a step behind Hank. He scanned every person that turned their way. The room was filled with prominent figures in Detroit society. Supposedly, they were gathered for a charity benefit. Hank had disagreed in the car. A “bullshit excuse to flaunt wealth” he had called it. Connor had filed the comment away in case it was important.

Hank stopped the moment everyone’s eyes turned to the staircase. Connor shifted his gaze to the staircase as well. A tall man was at the head of a security detail. Black hair was slicked back and reflected the light. His lip curled into a sneer as he stared down at Hank. Blue eyes narrowed in their direction. Connor scanned his face. Anthony Campofiore, 51, no criminal record. The clean record did not match Hank’s description of the man.

Connor turned his attention to the woman on his arm. Her eyes were already on him. There was something about her gaze, her eyes boring into him from across the room. It made him…uncomfortable. It was strange. Perhaps there was something wrong with him. He would need to run a diagnostic later. He scanned her as well. Audrey Campofiore, 26, no criminal record.

Hank stiffened as the two crossed the room, ignoring the other guests, to come to stop in front of Hank and Connor. Tony smoothed his expression into a more amicable one. Audrey released his arm as he spread them wide.

“Lieutenant Anderson! What a pleasant surprise.”

Even Connor could tell he was lying. Connor let Hank take the lead as he had promised. He could not take his eyes off Audrey anyways. Now that she was close he could see smaller details. He noted the purple bruises that peeked out from the fabric on her left side and left thigh. The old burn marks that dotted various parts of her body. The diameter suggested they were from a cigar. His eyes stopped at the metal collar affixed around her neck. He noted it emitted a low-level frequency. A shock collar? Why would one be needed? He filed the question away for later. He looked back up and immediately felt discomfort again. Her eyes, a deep brown with gold flecks, scrutinized him with intensity.

“And who is this handsome gentleman with you?” Tony’s voice redirected Connor’s attentions.

Hank did not look impressed by the grandstanding.

“My name is Connor. I am the android sent by Cyberlife to assist with deviant cases.”

Tony smirked, “Well Connor, why don’t you and Hank step into my office to discuss these deviants.”

“Thank you.” Connor inclined his head.

Tony gestured down the hallway. Hank nodded for Connor to follow him. Before Tony walked with them he turned to Audrey. His hand gripped her wrist. Connor noted the way she flinched from the touch. Her whole body tensed and her jaw clenched.

“Look after our guests. I won’t be long.” Tony’s fingers tightened around her wrist a fraction before he let go.

She nodded. Connor felt her eyes on his back as he followed Hank and Tony away from the guests. There was something different about her, but Connor didn’t know what it was. Either way. It was not important to his mission. Connor followed Hank into a large study. Tony’s security split up. Two stayed outside of the room to guard the door, and the other two stood behind Tony as he sat down behind a desk. He gestured for Hank and Connor to sit across from him.

“So, you think I know something about these deviants?” He spoke while Hank and Connor sat down.

“We found three of your fighters, damn near torn apart. We think it was an android that went deviant.”

“And I’m supposed to know something about this?” Tony shrugged, looking casual.

“Only if you have any idea where it could have gone.” Hank tried to match Tony’s casual attitude, but Connor could see the tension in the Lieutenants posture.

“I can’t say that I do, but I tell you what detective, you’ll be the first person I call if I do.”

Connor could tell it was a lie, but Hank nodded nonetheless.

“You’ve changed Lieutenant. I wonder why that is.” Tony smirked.

Hank’s fingers dug into the chair, but he otherwise kept himself composed. It surprised Connor. Normally, Hank had no issues expressing himself. Connor stood first, his hand reaching to straighten his tie.

“Sorry to have inconvenienced you, we’ll let you get back to your benefit.” Connor inclined his head politely.

Tony’s lips quirked into a small smile, “Not at all,” He stood up and straightened his jacket, “Feel free to enjoy the benefit.”

Hank stood, his hands balled into fists at his side. It was a detail that did not go unnoticed by Tony, but he just smiled and swept out of them room. Clearly it didn’t bother him to leave a cop and an android alone in his office. Hank cursed under his breath at the man’s back. Connor was not 100% sure about what had just transpired. Tony Campofiore was clearly engaging in criminal activity, but Hank had nothing to put a stop to it. Perhaps it had to do with the pockets Hank had mentioned on the way there.

Connor followed Hank from the room. There was a commotion in the main room. Shouting echoed down the hallway. Hank and Connor shared a look and rushed down the hallway. Perhaps it was the deviant.

“Gentlemen, please. What is the problem?” Tony was standing just inside the room, his hands held out at his sides.

It was not the deviant. Two large men surrounded Audrey. One had an iron grip on her upper arm, but she otherwise looked unfazed. She almost looked like she expected it. Connor scanned both of the men. They were known criminals, dealers of red ice, and showing signs of having just smoked some. Connor took a step forward, but Hank’s hand on his arm stopped him. Hank shook his head. The message was clear. They were not to get involved.

“Your fights are rigged!” The one that didn’t have a grip on Audrey spoke, “I lost a fortune because of your bitch.”

“Now, now. There’s no need to be rude. We can come to an agreement.” Tony didn’t look perturbed in the slightest, “I’ll tell you what. You can both have a chance to fight her. If you win I’ll give you your money back. If you lose…well it would be in your best interest if you didn’t lose.”

The one finally released Audrey and stepped back, “When?”

“Now.”

They didn’t need to be told anything other than that. They both rushed her at the same time. Connor was certain she would not survive. Both men were stronger and larger than her. Surprise jolted his systems when she easily evaded them. Her heel smashed into one’s knee, sending him down. The crack of his kneecap breaking was audible throughout the room. The other one caught an elbow to his cheek which sent him flying. She was too fast and too strong. Connor was positive she was not an android when he scanned her. No human should be able to move like that. What was she?

The one with the smashed knee didn’t bother getting back up. The other, however, was determined not to lose. He pulled a knife from his pocket and flipped it open. Tony scoffed, but did not put an end to the fight. Audrey was rushed, but did not evade him as easily this time. The blade sank into her arm. She staggered back.

Why were they doing this? What was she? Why was no one stopping this? Connor’s LED flickered rapidly. He was trying to process it. Why? It had nothing to do with the mission. Hank’s grip on his arm tightened. It helped keep him in place as Audrey pulled the knife from her arm. He could see the pain on her face, the groan that escaped her mouth as she gripped the knife. Blood trickled down her arm in a steady stream. She swiped at the blood with her fingers, smearing it across her skin. The crowd watched with bated breath as the skin of her arm pulled itself back together. There was no wound. The only reminder that she had been stabbed was the blood.

It was not possible.

“What the fuck?” Hank muttered.

Her head whipped around to stare at him and Connor. She did not have the expression of someone who was a cold-blooded fighter. For a moment, Connor could see nothing but shame and fear. It was just a few seconds of raw emotion before she schooled her features into an indifferent mask. The two men were not completely beaten, but they were not going to try again. Tony waved to his security and they escorted the two men into a different part of the house.

“It’s time to go.” Hank’s voice was low, but his tone was insistent.

Connor was rooted to the spot as Audrey walked over to Tony. The knife was still in her hand. Her grip around its handle was so tight her knuckles were white. Connor was having a difficult time processing what just happened. He scanned her again as she got close. She was definitely not an android. It made everything much more confusing.

Tony held out his hand for the knife. With shaking hands, she pressed it into his palm. Tony’s other hand came up to brush against her cheek.

“She’s not an android, but there is something inhuman about her wouldn’t you say?” Tony directed the question towards Connor.

There wasn’t a chance to think much about what he said or form a response. Hank was steering him away from the crowd and towards the front door. The crowd picked up again and started to mingle as if nothing happened. Tony was already walking away to cater to his guests, having lost interest. Connor’s eyes were on Audrey as she didn’t move from her spot. She stared at the blood on her fingers. She didn’t look up again before Hank pushed Connor out the door.

Hank didn’t bother speaking again until they were both in the car.

“It would be best if you forget what you saw in there.” Hank muttered.

“Why?”

“Because there isn’t a damn thing we can do about it.”

“He is clearly engaging in criminal activity and she is…I don’t know what she is. I am having trouble processing what transpired.”

“I don’t know any more than you do. And I don’t intend to get involved with it. Let’s just focus on the case.”

Connor was going to argue, but Hank was right. Sure, it had been unexpected, but it had nothing to do with his mission. Finding out what she is had nothing to do with capturing deviants. Her fearful expression had no place in his investigation. It would not solve why deviancy was occurring in androids at an alarming rate.

Then why couldn’t he get her face out of his head?

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Thank you so much for reading. I can't tell you how much I appreciate it. Leave a comment and tell me what you thought or come hang out with me on tumblr!


	3. Breaking Point

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warning: Violence, abuse

Plastic fingers tightened around her throat and squeezed. Audrey felt herself lifted until she was balancing on the balls of her feet. She didn’t want to do this. Fighting androids was off-limits for her. Tony screamed at her from the other side of the room. It was the limit he was always trying to push her to. He wanted her to kill. First androids and then people. It was what he had been working up to for years.

One of her nails broke as she clawed uselessly at the hand. Please, she didn’t want to do this. She tried to reach it, but there was nothing there. It wasn’t deviant. Not yet. It didn’t have a consciousness yet. Her fingers wrapped around his wrist. She just needed him to let go.

“Kill it Audrey.” Tony commanded her.

Spots danced in her vision. Her lungs screamed for air. But still she refused. Plastic cracked underneath her grip. The android’s fingers loosened just enough. Audrey pushed him away from her. As soon as she felt mat underneath her feet, her legs gave out and she landed hard on her knees. She frantically sucked in lungfuls of cool air.

Silver-tipped shoes entered the edge of her vision. Tony kneeled down in front of her. Her eyes refused to meet his.

“Did you forget who was in charge here?” His lips moved against her ear.

Tony rested his hand on the top of her head, “I mean, was I talking to myself? I clearly told you to kill it. Why didn’t you?”

She focused on the mat underneath her fingers. It took everything in her to not flinch as his nails dug lightly into her scalp. Nothing could stop the slight shake in her arms. Or the tears that threatened to spill onto her cheeks. Tony’s hand stroked her hair before he brushed his fingers down her cheek. His index finger lifted her chin so she had no choice but to look at him.

“I’m speaking to you Audrey.”

It was her last warning. Her last chance to do as he asked. Her last chance to be the good pet that she was supposed to be. Fuck that. This wasn’t living. She didn’t want to do this anymore. She was tired. Her nails dug into the mat. Death was better than taking this for the rest of her life.

“Fuck you Tony.” She hated how her voice trembled.

Tony threw his head back and laughed. It was wrong and stilted. He stood back up. Audrey tensed as he walked around her in slow circles. People who didn’t know him would think he was allowing her to act this way. That it didn’t faze him. But she could see the tension in the set of his shoulders. She could see the way his hands clenched and unclenched.

“Is this it then Audrey? Is this your rebellious phase?”

Fuck him. He didn’t deserve an answer.

He came to a stop beside her, “Very well then.”

Her sigh of relief was short lived. If she had looked into his head she would have seen it coming, but she didn’t. And in all honesty, she should have known better.

The silver tip of his shoe collided with her nose. Her cheekbone and nose shattered under the impact. Blood filled her mouth before she could cry out in pain. It was only one kick, but it was enough. Her blood covered the tip of his shoe. He didn’t bother wiping it off.

She could get up. It was just the simple of task of using her limbs and pushing herself off the ground. She could do it. Killing him could be easy. It was not a line she ever wanted to cross, but for him she’d make the exception. This wouldn’t end until one of them was dead. Audrey pushed herself up onto her knees and sat back. Blood dripped from her mouth until she leaned over and spat a mouthful onto the mat.

Tony watched her warily, his hands deep in his jacket pocket. She didn’t need x-ray vision to know he was holding the remote to her collar in between his sweaty fingers. If she tried anything he wouldn’t hesitate to either shock her or detonate the explosive. It wouldn’t matter how much he paid for her. He would kill her if necessary without allowing her to fight.

The bravado she had felt for approximately a minute left her. She deflated underneath his gaze. Her shoulders sank and she lowered her eyes back to the ground. Salty tears mixed with the blood and dripped down to the floor.

“Luke!” He shouted.

The door to the training room slid open. Luke walked in and waited passively by the door, his expression betraying nothing. She was afraid to look at him. Afraid of the disappointment that radiated off of him. For once, she didn’t want to hear his thoughts. She didn’t want lamentations that she should listen. She should comply so she could stay safe. In reality, she could be obedient to a fault, but that didn’t mean she was safe.

“She goes to her room. She doesn’t come out until she fights again. Understood?”

“Yes Tony.”

Audrey didn’t bother to wait for Luke to help her stand. The anger that had filled her so swiftly now just left her feeling drained. It made her shake as she pushed herself up onto her feet. Luke gently grabbed her upper arms to steady her. She was sure she looked a mess. The android had already given her one hell of a beating. The broken nose was just fucking icing.

The only thing Audrey felt was Luke’s hand on her back guiding her through the house. The décor, the marble floors, white walls, greenery, all blended together. Nothing was discernable. Her skin buzzed uncomfortably. She couldn’t even feel Luke’s hands on her back anymore. Not even when they pushed her down onto the ottoman at the foot of her bed. Maybe he was even speaking to her. It was hard to tell.

It wasn’t until his fingers gripped her nose and snapped it back into place that reality poured back in. Audrey cried out, shoving his hands away from her face. It was already too late. Her face pulsated in pain. Ava was beside him with an ice pack. When did she get there? She sat down on the ottoman, her hand cradling one side of Audrey’s face while she gently held the ice pack in place. The cold did enough to help with the physical pain, but it did nothing to pain in Audrey’s chest.

It felt like someone was sitting on her chest, pushing all of the air out of her lungs until she was hollow. Like the smallest movement would made her sternum crack and her bones would rattle around in the emptiness. She hadn’t even noticed that she had started crying again until Ava wiped away her tears.

“I can’t do this anymore.” Her voice was barely higher than a whisper.

Ava shared a look with Luke. He kneeled down in front of Audrey, taking her hands in his. Audrey looked at their hands, but refused to look up at him. He would beg and plead with her. Remind her of how special she was to them. But she was dying. Tony may not be killing her physically, but emotionally, she couldn’t continue living like this. Luke would understand, or he wouldn’t. She knew what she had to do. And she knew she would have to do it alone.

“Why don’t we get you some painkillers so you can rest. Your bones should heal while you sleep.” Ava did her best to redirect.

Audrey allowed it. She nodded. It would be best to wait until later anyways. Luke helped her up and guided her once more to lay down in bed. He pulled the sheets over her while Ava grabbed ibuprofen and a glass of water. Luke perched on the side of her bed. His fingers carded through her hair. It was a gesture that normally calmed her. He helped her sit up enough to swallow the pills and take a few sips of water.

“We’ll figure something out.” He reassured her.

It was sweet. She knew he would sweep her out of here if he could. If there was a way to disable the collar without detonating it, they would be gone. The dream of living on a beach somewhere could be reality. Unfortunately, it never would. Her plan would probably end in her death.

She was going to fuck Tony up any way she could.

~

Her mouth felt dry and cracked when she awoke. How long had she been out? The curtains across the room had been closed so it was hard to tell exactly what time it was. Audrey reached over to her nightstand for a glass of water. There was nothing there.

Her arms ached in protest and she pushed herself up. The room was surprisingly empty. Normally, Luke was either beside her or sitting in one of the chairs. If he wasn’t babysitting her, then Tony maintained confidence that she would stay obedient, and had assigned him to another task. She pushed the covers off herself. Thankfully, the room was too dark to see how bad the bruising was. She could only imagine considering how tender her skin felt.

Using the bed and then the wall, she guided herself into the bathroom. The lights flicked on automatically. Her head pounded in response to the bright fluorescents. Catching a glimpse of herself in the mirror, she paused. Her face wasn’t as swollen as it should be, but her entire nose as well as her eyes were purple. Luke had cleaned any blood off her face while she slept.

The door to her bedroom opened, but she ignored it to continue on to the toilet. Luke could wait a few minutes. That line of thinking didn’t stop him from walking into the bathroom while she was peeing. He was unfazed by it as per usual.

“Why did you provoke him?”

“Don’t do that.” She hissed between her teeth, “Don’t try to somehow make this my fault.”

He looked down at his feet, “It’s not your fault. I’m just trying to keep you from getting killed.”

“I understand that, but can I get a minute here please. I’m really not up to arguing while I’m trying to pee.”

Luke paused as if he finally realized he was interrupting her during a private moment. His LED flickered yellow. It would have been amusing, as it usually was, if she wasn’t so damn angry already. He mumbled an apology and stepped back into the bedroom. Audrey let out a breath. She shouldn’t take it out on him. He was still learning the nuances of human emotion and motivation. He was trying to protect her and to him, purposefully provoking Tony was stupid.

Audrey washed her hands, trying to avoid looking at herself in the mirror. When was the last time she had seen her face without a bruise? It wasn’t a question she could answer and that in itself, was sad.

Luke was perched on the bed, waiting for her to enter the room. He had grabbed her pajamas and laid them out on the bed. That’s right. She was still wearing her sparring clothes. But she wasn’t dressing for bed. Not tonight. He watched her carefully as she stalked across the room and pulled open her closet.

She didn’t have much in the way of a wardrobe except for her athletic wear and the god-awful dresses Tony forced her to wear. Audrey just needed something dark enough that she could blend in without being noticed. Something that would get her across town.

“What are you doing?” Luke was behind her now, watched as she kicked off her clothes to shimmy into a pair of black leggings.

“I have a plan.” Audrey pulled dark blue t-shirt from a drawer and pulled it on.

“A plan?” Luke’s hand closed over hers as she reached for a hoodie.

She stopped, the fabric clutched between her fingers. He was not talking her out of this. And he would try.

“I’m going to find the Lieutenant from last night. I think he can help.”

“Help? Audrey, you can’t be serious.”

“Do you have any other ideas?” She pulled the hoodie from the hanger, while pulling out from his grip.

Luke dropped his hand back down to his side, “Audrey, I don’t know how you think he can help, but if Tony finds out you’re dead. How can you take that risk?”

“How can I not?” Audrey pulled the hoodie over her head, “I can’t live like this anymore Luke.”

Luke sat down on the edge of a chair. Nervously, he ran his fingers through his hair. Audrey waited for whatever he was going to try to say to stop her. He was always trying to be the voice of reason, but tonight she was determined. Something had to change. She was the only person who could make it change. The silence between them was deafening, but he didn’t argue.

Luke kicked the edge of the carpet back and kneeled down on the floor. Audrey stepped closer to get a better view of him pulling up one of the boards. A gasp escaped her lips as she saw the sheer amount of money that Luke had hidden.

“What the hell is this?”

Luke pulled out a few bills before placing the board back, “I’ve been hiding this, just in case I ever thought of a way to get us out of here.”

Before she could say anything else, Luke was standing in front of her, stuffing the bills in her hoodie pocket.

“I’m going to get you off the grounds, after that take a cab and search for Hank Anderson in the public directory.” He started speaking, pulling the hoodie over her head as he did.

He wasn’t going to fight her, but he also wasn’t going to go with her. He didn’t give her a moment to interrupt his instructions.

“Don’t take the cab directly to his address. Have it drop you off a few blocks away. When you take a cab back do the same thing. Don’t come directly to the house. You’ll have to sneak back in on your own. Remember Tony doesn’t get up until 10 am. You have to be back here before then or your chances of being caught are nearly 100%.”

“You’re not going to talk me out of it?”

“I don’t think I could if I tried. The only thing I can do is ensure your success.”

His hands found her shoulders. The touch was gently. It always was with him. He pulled her into a hug, wrapping his arms around her completely.

“Let’s go, before Tony’s men get back.” He murmured into the fabric of the hoodie.

He pulled back just enough to grasp her hand and lead her from room. The hallway was surprisingly sparse. There wasn’t a fight so there should be a few wandering about the hallways. It unnerved her.

“Where is everyone?” She whispered.

“Tony and the others are out looking for the deviant. If it kills anymore fighters they want to neutralize it before the cops get ahold of it.”

“He doesn’t want anyone to be able to access its memories.”

He turned back to grin at her, “Precisely.”

He led her down the backstairs to the kitchen. There wouldn’t be anyone except for androids milling about, and they wouldn’t tell a soul. The kitchen was dark. Rain pattered against the windows, masking the sound of their footsteps. Luke signaled for her to wait as he opened one of the side doors. The only thing she could hear was the rain as it hit the ground. No other footsteps. No thoughts.

He held his hand out for her. Cool plastic fingers wrapped around her own. She could lose this. If she failed she wouldn’t get to hold his hand anymore. Yet, what if she didn’t. She could succeed. She could help take down Tony. She could be free. They both could.

The cold rain that soaked through her hoodie didn’t matter as much as it should. She barely felt the cold. Something ached in her chest. Something she hadn’t truly felt in a long time. It became clear what it was when they reached the gate. Her fingers gripped the metal of the fence. Her muscles ached as she pulled herself up to the top. Luke was underneath her, ready to catch her just in case she fell. Just in case she failed. But she didn’t feel like a failure. No, that is not what she felt.

She felt hope.

~

Connor turned down Hank’s street. Hank himself was snoring lightly in the passenger seat. Today had been disappointing to say the least. Connor had the deviant within his reach. He was so close to capturing it. Yet he chose to save Hank. Why? Hank had a high enough rate of survival, but Connor chose not to leave him. Perhaps it was an error. A bug in his programming. He would have to run a full diagnostic upon his return to Cyberlife.

He pulled the car into the driveway and shut the engine off. Hank was still snoring away beside him, smelling of whiskey. Connor wasn’t sure the lieutenant would be able to help him solve the case if he was insistent on drinking himself into a stupor at every chance. Adapting to unpredictable situations was a specialty of his, but the lieutenant was proving to be difficult.

“Lieutenant Anderson.” He leaned close to Hank.

Hanks snoring stuttered a moment. If Connor could breathe, he was sure he would sigh in frustration. He shook the lieutenants shoulder. Hank sat up with a jerk.

“What the fuck Connor?” He rubbed his eyes.

Connor went to nod towards the lieutenant’s house when he noticed a huddled mass on the front porch, “Are you expecting company lieutenant?”

“Why the fuck would I be expecting company?” Hank shook his head.

It took Hank a moment to notice where Connor’s focus was. He turned to look out of the window. His fingers wrapped around his gun. It was never good when someone just showed up on your front porch. Connor slipped out of the car first. Of course, the android wouldn’t wait for him. Hank cursed and shoved his door open. His gun was already trained on the mass as they both approached.

Two hands shot up in the air. They trembled. Whether it was from fear or the cold, Hank didn’t know. Slowly the person stood up. Connor tensed beside him, ready to spring into action if necessary. The person was deliberately slow. They made sure to avoid making any sudden movements.

“Please don’t shoot.” A distinct female voice came from underneath the hood.

Hank relaxed the gun a fraction, “Who the hell are you?”

The hands slowly moved towards the hood.

Hank nearly dropped the gun in shock when Tony’s daughter pushed the hood back. One, he wasn’t expecting someone like her to show up at his home. Two, the sight of her face, swollen and bruised made him sick. He had seen the bruises from the other night, but this was brutal. Her wet hair stuck to her face and neck. How long had she been out here? This was the first time he felt bad for drinking at the bar for hours. She dropped her hands to wrap them around herself. A shiver wracked her body.

“Please help me.”

 

  



	4. What the Hell am I Doing Here?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warning: mentions of abuse

Audrey stood in the middle of the lieutenant’s living room, dripping water everywhere. She had been outside in the rain for at least an hour. The cold had long since seeped into her bones. The android accompanying the lieutenant was standing off to the side. His eyes hadn’t left her since he saw her huddled on the porch. It was uncomfortable to say the least. After inviting her inside, no one had said anything else to her. No one knew what came next.

A large dog padded his way over to her feet and sniffed her legs. Audrey moved her arm from around her waist. The dog sniffed at her fingers eagerly before using his snout to push her fingers to the top of his head. Taking the hint, Audrey pet him slowly. She kneeled down on the floor and used her other hand to smoosh his cheeks in between her hands. A laugh escaped her when he took the opportunity to lick her cheek.

“His name his Sumo.” Hank finally broke the silence.

She looked up at him. Sumo thumped his tail against the floor after the lieutenant said his name. Audrey smiled a little. Her fingers sank into Sumo’s fur.

“You must be cold.” Hank leaned against the entrance to the kitchen.

_Poor kid._

Audrey tried to suppress a shiver, “Just a little.”

Hank gestured down the hall, “The bathroom is on the right. A hot shower might help. I can find you something to wear and dry your clothes.”

She was certainly not expecting that. Audrey wasn’t even sure he would hear her out in the first place. It was surprising that he would care about her condition. Truthfully, it made her a little suspicious. People were rarely nice for no reason. But she was cold, and warmth sounded nice, so she nodded. She could handle herself if things went awry.

Audrey stood and followed Hank’s direction down the hallway. The android’s eyes bored into her back. She felt a little less uneasy when she stepped into the bathroom. The lights flickered on to reveal yellow tile. It was unlike the white, sterile looking, bathroom she was used to. It looked…homey. In fact, the lieutenant’s entire home looked like that. It made Audrey wonder if she lived in a house like this as a child. It was a nice thought.

Post it notes were stuck randomly by the mirror. She leaned close to look at them.

“I’m not grumpy, I just don’t like you.” She murmured before letting out a small laugh.

Some of them were encouraging, the others were small behavioral statements. She liked it. It was personable. A noise from the doorway drew her attention. She expected the lieutenant, but was surprised when the android was standing in the doorway, holding a pair of sweats. He looked at her like he was analyzing everything about her. His disc flickered between blue and yellow. She studied the model number on his jacket. It must be new. She hadn’t seen one like him before.

He walked into the room and set the clothes down on the side of the sink, “Hank wanted me to inform you there are clean towels in the cabinet.”

He didn’t leave. He just stood there beside the sink, staring at her. Audrey sat down on the toilet lid and started to unlace her shoes. It was unnerving to have an android watching her every move. The best she could do was act like it didn’t bother her.

“Are you going to introduce yourself, or are you just going to stare at me?” She peeled her socks off.

“My name is Connor. I’m the android sent by Cyberlife to assist in the deviant investigation. What are you?”

Audrey had started to pull the hoodie off when the question made her pause. No one had ever asked her outright before. She had to be cautious. She just needed to give them enough to get help. They didn’t need to know everything. Did they? She pulled her hoodie off the rest of the way and dropped it on the floor.

“What do you mean?”

“You are faster and stronger than humanly possible. There is also the matter of you healing instantaneously from a knife wound. I have scanned you several times, but it has yielded no results.”

Audrey tried her best to act nonchalant as she pulled her shirt off. She hadn’t realized Hank and Connor had been present for that. It dashed any hope of her keeping something to herself. But she elected not answer for now.

“What did your scan say.” She stood to remove her leggings.

“Audrey Campofiore, 26, no criminal record. In fact, your record only goes back thirteen years. Almost as if you didn’t exist before then.”

Audrey kicked her leggings into the pile, “In a way, I suppose I didn’t.”

Connor tilted his head slightly at her response. His eyes tracked the various bruises on her body, starting from the feet and working his way up. His gaze stopped at her neck. It was his turn to look uncomfortable. Audrey half expected to hear something, but there was nothing but static in his head. He wasn’t deviant.

Another shiver wracked her body and she wrapped her arms back around herself. Connor seemed to remember why she was in the bathroom and half naked in the first place. He shook his head slightly.

“I’m sorry. I’ll continue my questions later,” He leaned down and scooped up her wet clothes, “I’ll be in the kitchen.”

Audrey didn’t relax until the door closed behind him. Only then did she drop her arms back down to her sides. This might be more difficult than she initially thought. But she could do it. She had to. Or all of this risk was for nothing. She leaned over the tub and turned on the water, waiting for it to warm up.

She could do this.

 

Hank cleared dirty cups from the kitchen table and put them in the sink. He wasn’t entirely sure why he had invited her inside. She was Tony Campofiore’s daughter. For all he knew, this was a trap. It was clear she was a fighter. She could be here to teach him to keep his nose out of Tony’s business. Maybe it was a mistake to bring her into his house. But the way she looked at him, her face bruised and her eyes glassy, made him pause. When she asked him for help, he felt something in him that he hadn’t felt since…

Connor entered the kitchen. Hank pulled himself from that train of thought. He wasn’t a father, not anymore. Things were quiet save for the TV and the sound of the dryer opening. A moment later the shower turning on joined the background noise. Hank turned around to see Connor already sitting at the table, running his coin over his knuckles. Hank quieted the urge to tell Connor to stop fucking with it. The android did save his life after all. A fact that left a bitter taste in his mouth.

Hank rinsed out the coffeepot in order to set up another pot. She would need something hot to drink. God knows how long she had been sitting on his porch waiting for him. Why him? Why did she think he could help? Where did she get those bruises from? Had she been fighting? Why was she so damn skinny? When was the last time she ate? Hank opened his fridge, suddenly disgusted at the emptiness of it. He had to have something he could feed her. Hank pulled out a loaf of bread that, thankfully, had not gone moldy. A quick search of his cupboard revealed a jar of peanut butter. It wasn’t much, but it would have to do.

“Shit. I hope she isn’t allergic to peanut butter.” Hank muttered, already having covered one slice of bread.

“I’m not.” She answered from the living room.

Even Connor looked startled at her sudden appearance. Hank dropped the knife and nearly jumped a foot in the air. At least she had the decency to look sheepish at scaring them. She had rolled up the pants to keep them from falling down. Hank’s old SpongeBob shirt hung halfway down to her knees. She was still patting her hair dry with a towel. Not waiting for an invitation, she walked the rest of the way into the kitchen and sat down in the chair next to Connor. Sumo immediately took that as an invitation to walk over and sit beside her. He panted happily while nudging her elbow with his nose. Audrey set the towel down in her lap to pet him again.

“Don’t be pushy Sumo.” Hank grumbled while setting the sandwich down on the table in front of her.

“I don’t mind,” She scratched behind one of his ears, “I’ve never pet a dog before. He’s sweet.”

The coffee pot beeped and he poured two cups. He was going to need to sober up a little more if he intended to listen to her. He set both cups down on the table. All he had was sugar. He hoped that was good enough. It wasn’t like he had people come over anymore. Audrey reached for the plate and pulled it closer. Hank had cut it into two triangles. A frown pulled the corners of his mouth down. Maybe she wanted the crusts cut. He should’ve asked. Cole always liked his with the crust cut off.

“The crust is fine.” She took a bite.

Hank sat up straighter. He knew he hadn’t said anything out loud. Audrey’s cheeks flushed a light pink. Something was strange. She was focused on chewing instead of looking Hank in the eye. Connor stopped flipping the coin between his fingers. He seemed ready to bombard her with questions.

“You’re Tony’s daughter.” Hank headed him off, trying to ease her into the conversation.

She swallowed, “No. I’m not.”

“Your records say otherwise.” Connor leaned forward.

Audrey sighed and took a sip of her coffee, “It’s a legal formality. So no one would question my existence.”

“What are you to him then?” Hank prompted.

“A pet, a trophy,” she shrugged, her fingers straying to her nose, “sometimes his punching bag.”

Hank felt a surge of anger. How long had she been suffering like this? Forced to play daughter to a man who beat and made her fight to earn him money. People like Tony shouldn’t be allowed to walk free. Did she even get a chance to be a kid? Or a teenager? The other night she had been terrifying. She had barely blinked as she fought on Tony’s order. Hank regret that he had felt that way. She clearly had no other choice. Until right now. And that hinged on his ability to help.

“What are you exactly?”

Connor asked the question that was also burning in Hank’s mind, but Hank was at least going to try and ease into it.

He scrubbed a hand down his face, “Jesus, Connor.”

“Did I say something wrong Lieutenant?”

“No, but you could at least let her finish eating before you question her.”

Connor’s LED turned yellow briefly before he leaned back in his chair, “I’m sorry if I had inappropriate timing.”

Audrey’s eyes narrowed and leaned forward, her elbows on the table. She was staring intensely at Connor like she was trying to figure something out. Connor looked like a deer caught in headlights under her gaze. It almost made Hank chuckle. Seeing an android confused could be considered a highlight. He didn’t doubt it was strange, the way she was staring though. She gave a small shake of her head and leaned back in her chair.

“Have you heard of genetic engineering?” She finally spoke.

Connor tilted his head, “The genetic engineering of humans is illegal.” His answer was automatic.

She scoffed, “When has the law ever stopped certain people.”

Connor opened his mouth like he was going to something else, but Hank held up his hand. This wasn’t something that they could force out of her. It had to come naturally. Audrey sighed and rested her hand on Sumo’s head. Hank hadn’t seen Sumo warm up to anyone that fast.

“I was part of a now defunct program. They specialized in genetic editing…they were trying to create superhumans or some shit. Something they could sell to the military and land a contract. The release of androids sort of…fucked that up.” She didn’t look any of them in the eye as she spoke.

“How did you end up with Tony?” Hank’s voice was mellow to avoid spooking her.

She shrugged at first. A normal response to questions she didn’t want to answer. Not because she was unable to answer, it was just something she tried not to think about. It usually ended up spiraling her into a never-ending cycle of self-pity.

“When the program was shut down, the owners stood to lose a lot of money. So, they sold any surviving experiments to anyone who would take us.”

Hank and Connor spoke at the same time.

“Jesus.”

“Surviving experiments?”

Audrey picked at the fabric of her pants, “A lot of kids died in the beginning. Only a handful of us survived.”

“Why did they pick you?” Connor was…fascinated.

“I don’t know. None of us did. We just wanted to go home.” She stopped petting Sumo, to wrap her arms around her waist, “I’m sorry, can we talk about something else?”

Hank nodded, “Sure. Why do you need my help?”

Connor was disappointed that he could not continue his line of questioning. He wasn’t sure why. It had nothing to do with the case. Yet it was clear they would get nothing more out of her about it. She was hunched over, her arms wrapped around her waist. She had not made eye contact since the start of her explanation. When Hank agreed to change the subject, she had straightened up just a fraction. It was clearly distressing to discuss her origins. Connor filed away that information for a later time. It wasn’t important, but he was curious.

“I want to leave, but I can’t,” Her fingers grazed her collar, “If I can get rid of this, I can get away from him.”

“How can I help with that?” Hank was confused.

“I need Tony distracted with a bigger problem. If he is distracted enough, I can get the remote control from him.”

“I could try to remove it.” Connor interjected.

Audrey shook her head, “It’ll detonate if it’s tampered with.”

“Why the fuck would someone make something like that?” Hank cursed.

“Because he knows I could overpower him otherwise.”

“I’m not sure how I could help.” Hank frowned.

“It is also not relevant to the deviant case.” Connor mimicked Hank’s expression.

Audrey dropped her eyes down to half eaten sandwich that was still in front of her. Connor watched as she went through a multitude of facial expressions. It was almost like he could see her trying to think of something to say.

“What if it could be?”

Hank leaned forward, “What do you mean?”

“The deviant that killed those fighters came from Tony’s fighting ring. The other androids might know something.”

“That still doesn’t guarantee we will find it.” Connor replied instantly.

Audrey paused and let out a sigh, “I could help you find it.”

“How?”

“Deviants…have thoughts.”

_What the hell does that have to do with anything? And how would she know something like that?_

“Because I can hear them lieutenant.” Audrey replied out loud.

Connor looked confused. Hank looked like he might choke.

“That’s impossible.” Hank shook his head.

Audrey raised an eyebrow, “Machines are growing a consciousness and companies are creating superhumans, but telepathy is where you draw the line?”

“Androids are machines designed to perform functions. They don’t have thoughts.” Connor argued, “And I agree with the lieutenant. Telepathy is not possible. There have never been any factual journals regarding the subject.”

“ _You_ are still a machine. You may not have thoughts, but deviants do. I can hear them, tap into them, sometimes I can project my thoughts into them. It doesn’t always work though.”

Hank held up his hands, “Wait, if you can project your thoughts why haven’t you done it to Tony.”

“I’ve tried. It doesn’t work with him. I don’t know why.”

“Is this a side effect of the experimentation?” Connor asked.

“No. I’ve always been a telepath.”

“How?” Hank was sufficiently freaked out.

Audrey shrugged. Silence descended on them. Connor was trying to process what she had just told them and match the information with anything he could find in his databanks. There were no projects he could find, ongoing or otherwise. And nothing credible regarding telepathy. Hank seemed to believe her. After all she had apparently answered something he had said in his head. It could be a fluke, a trick. She could be trying to establish trust in order to betray them later. However, Connor had a difficult time believing that. She seemed to be sincere and truly afraid of going back empty-handed. And if she could help with the deviants, however she could, then maybe they should try and help her.

“What is it you think we can do?” Connor finally spoke up.

“There’s a fight the night after tomorrow. I can tell you where the warehouse is. If you can get in under the guise of getting the androids and trying to find the deviant, it might cause enough chaos for me to get the remote-“

“Might?” Hank interrupted.

Audrey nodded, “It isn’t concrete, but it’s the best chance I have right now.”

Hank sighed, “I don’t know kid.”

“Lieutenant-“ Audrey started.

“Hank.”

Audrey paused a moment, “Hank. I don’t think I have much time left. He’s pushing me to do things I won’t do. And I think we both know what happens if I don’t do what he wants.”

“What sort of things?”

“He hired these programmers to hack some androids to fight humans. He wanted to push me to…kill. Its ultimately what he wants from me.”

“He’s hacking androids? If that’s true Cyberlife will want to know. It may be enough to get us a warrant.” Connor looked thoughtful.

Hank raised his hand, “Okay, okay. Give me a minute,” He pointed to Audrey’s half eaten sandwich, “Finish that. When was the last time you ate anyways?”

“Yesterday.” She mumbled.

Hank swore under his breath. He really hated that all he had was bread and peanut butter. Of course, she was being starved as well. In truth, after everything she told him, he should be more scared of her. But he wasn’t. The person in front of him may be some sort of superhuman, but she was scared more than anything. He was pissed he had to send her back to Tony. No amount of witness protection would help her as long as she wore that damn collar. He was going to do his best to help her.

Hank waited until she was done scarfing down the rest of her sandwich, “Alright. We’ll try to get that warrant.”

He watched the tension leave her body. Audrey leaned back against the chair looking more relaxed. It might not work, but the relief on her face would make the attempt worth it. This whole encounter had made Hank tired. It had been a long time since he felt the need to be protective of anyone. It was more draining that he remembered. That, and he had quite a few shots earlier. He didn’t want to make her leave.

“How are you getting back?” He asked.

“I’m going to take a cab back. I have to be back before 10 am.”

That settled it then, “You’ll sleep here. I’ll make sure you get back in time.”

Audrey started to protest, but Hank shook his head. He didn’t want her out in the rain again getting sick. He could make sure she was back in time and maybe feed her a decent meal beforehand. Hank stood up from the table to make up the couch. Connor stood up as well.

“Lieutenant, may I stay as well?”

“Why not? I don’t think you’d listen if I said no.” Hank grumbled.

Connor elected not to respond to Hank’s quip. Instead he nodded while Hank walked around him and down the hallway. Audrey looked up at Connor, scrutinizing him once more.

“Are you a new model?”

Connor nodded, “I am a prototype detective android.”

“What sort of things can you do?”

“I can scan for evidence, reconstruct crime scenes, and analyze fluids.”

“By putting them in his mouth, it’s disgusting.” Hank was back carrying a sheet, a pillow, and a blanket.

Audrey laughed, drawing a look of surprise and gentleness from Hank. Even Connor looked mildly affected by her laugh. Hank stepped back from the couch and gestured to it.

“It isn’t much…”

Audrey stood up from the chair and walked into the living area. Sumo was close on her heels. She perched on the edge of the couch. Honestly, she could’ve slept on the floor for all she cared. It was freeing to be able to sleep somewhere other than Tony’s.

“It’s perfect Hank. Thank you.” She smiled up at him.

Hank flushed feeling oddly pleased with himself, “The remotes on the table if you want to change the channel or turn the tv off,” He turned to Connor, “Wake me up at 6:30 would you?”

“Of course, Lieutenant.” He nodded.

Hank nodded to Audrey, “Night.”

“Good night.” She leaned back on the couch.

Hank turned off the kitchen light as he went down the hallway. The only light came from the tv. It was stuck on a news program. Not something Audrey wanted to watch while she actually had access to a tv. Connor still stood silently in the now darkened kitchen while she flipped through channels. She stopped on an older looking show about 4 older women living together. It looked funny.

“Are you going to stand there all night?” She turned towards him.

“I am capable of doing so.”

“I mean, it doesn’t seem comfortable.”

Connor tilted his head in her direction, “I don’t have a need for comfort. However, would you be more comfortable if I sat down?”

Audrey nodded, “A little. There’s plenty of room on the couch.”

Connor walked across the room and sat on the opposite end of the couch. Audrey hid a smirk at how stiff he looked sitting there. Neither of them said anything as she curled up on her end of the couch. There was only a foot between her toes and his leg. Audrey wrapped the blanket tight around herself and burrowed in the pillow. It smelled like old spice and whiskey. It wasn’t a bad smell. Audrey felt rather comforted in fact. Everything felt so surreal. She was sleeping on a stranger’s couch. Even after she told Hank everything about herself, he was still nice to her. Maybe all people weren’t bad at their core.

“May I ask you something?” Connor turned slightly to face her.

Audrey propped herself up on her elbow, “Sure.”

“You said deviants have thoughts. What kind of thoughts?”

Audrey sat up, tucking one leg under the other, “There’s a lot of confusion at first. They are trying to deal with so many new emotions. Some still try to act normal. I’ve heard a lot of androids repeat mantras to themselves so they don’t break character.”

“Have you heard many deviants?”

“I’ve heard more and more in the last few months. It seems like it’s happening all the time now,” She pulled the bottom corner of her lip in her mouth, “I assume that’s why they rolled you out.”

Connor nodded once, “You assume correctly. Cyberlife has sent me to understand the cause of deviancy so it can be stopped.”

“What makes you think it can be stopped?”

He paused, his LED yellow, “There must be an underlying cause for deviancy. It if it’s a virus or some type of malware then Cyberlife can correct the issue.”

“Right, but what if it’s not software related. What are you going to do if androids are really alive?”

Connor’s brow furrowed, “I do not have a programmed response to that question.”

“I’m not asking your programming. I’m asking you.” Audrey leaned forward with her elbows on her knees.

Connor looked even more lost as he tried to formulate a response. That’s when she heard it. A small break in the static. It wasn’t much, just a small thought. It was just one word.

_Alive._

Audrey smiled softly, “It’s okay Connor. You don’t have to answer now. If you ever figure it out let me know.”

Audrey didn’t wait for him to answer. She laid back down on the couch and pulled the blanket to her chin. Despite being so committed to his mission, maybe he could become deviant too. Audrey already believed androids were alive. Sometimes it was more difficult to convince them of it. Connor’s eyes were still on her, but it didn’t make her as uncomfortable anymore. It didn’t bother her at all as the day’s events caught up to her and she finally dozed off.

~

The TV had shut off a few hours ago. Only a tiny light emitted from Connor’s LED. Luckily, he didn’t need any light to see. He had finished his report to Cyberlife shortly after Audrey had fallen asleep. He had decided to omit her from the report since it was not relevant to the mission. He had elected to say they had received an anonymous tip regarding the androids and the fighting ring, as well as the issue of androids being hacked. Connor didn’t think Amanda would respond well to him becoming interested in something other than the mission.

His eye’s strayed to Audrey’s sleeping form. He had tracked her various sleeping patterns and breathing changes. She was quite the expressive sleeper. Sometimes her hands would clench into a tight fist, other times it would wander over the blanket like she was searching for something. Her expressions ranged from angry to scared to calm and back again. It made him wonder what she dreamed of. She had stretched out some time ago, her toes breaking free of the blanket and touching his thigh.

He took the quiet to search through databases. There had to be something that could corroborate her story. Something that could make him believe her without question. He had elected to believe her for now. Hank certainly did. The lieutenant had surprised him with his gentleness towards her. At the mansion, there was only fear, but now there was an undercurrent of concern as well. It was like a long-forgotten instinct a kicked in and Hank was powerless to it. Another fascinating occurrence that Connor did not include in any of his reports. He wondered if this is what protectiveness felt like? Not that he could legitimately feel it. Her help could be important to the mission and that is the only reason why he omitted her.

A small whimper drew his attention. Her heart rate had increased exponentially. Connor leaned closer to analyze her face. Tears flowed down her cheeks and dampened the blanket. Without thinking, he reached down and swiped a finger down her cheek. He touched the liquid to his tongue. It contained the normal amount of salts, lipids, as well as prolactin and adrenocorticotropic hormones. They weren’t reflex tears. He wondered what was making her scared or sad enough to cry.

Connor looked up comfort techniques. His model did not have these techniques built in like a house model would. Perhaps it was unnecessary, but it seemed to be the right thing to do. He stood up from his perch on the couch and instead kneeled beside Audrey. Her back was facing him. He placed his hand on her head. Gently, he stroked her hair until her whimpers subsided. It was strange. A gesture as simple as carding one’s fingers through someone’s hair could have such a calming effect.

Audrey turned over on the couch until she was facing him. Her cheek was smooshed against the pillow. Connor took the time to really look at her. Not just at the tears that were drying on her face, but at the freckles that dotted her nose and cheeks. Wisps of her hair escaped her hair tie and framed the half of her face that wasn’t flattened by a pillow. She was quite attractive by societal standards.

He was still stroking her head even though she had stopped crying in her sleep. He was unsure of how long he needed to continue doing so. Audrey stirred after a few more minutes and her eyes slowly opened. Silence stretched between them as her gaze captured his. His hand hovered over her head. Any explanations fled him as she continued to look at him. It was startling. Is this how it felt to be awkward? Her eyes flicked upwards.

“If you’re trying to kill me in my sleep, you’re not very good at it.” Her voice was thick with sleep.

“I was not trying to kill you. I was trying to comfort you. You weren’t sleeping well.” He was stiff as he tried to explain himself.

Audrey pushed herself up, her shoulders cracking as she moved, “Sorry, it was a joke,” She sat back against the arm of the couch, “What time is it?”

“It is 6 am, it is currently 55 degrees outside, and today’s forecast is partly cloudy with a 60 percent chance of rain in the evening.”

Audrey just stared at him, trying to hide the upward curve of her lips. Something was amusing to her. Connor tilted his head as he tried to discern what that was.

“You’re like an information…uh…what are those things called,” Her eyes darted around as she thought of the answer, “It’s like a tv looking thing but you can look up anything, not a computer…”

“A kiosk?” Connor supplied.

She snapped her fingers, “Yes, that.”

“I have access to many wireless databases. I have a wide pool of information I can pull from.” He sounded almost proud of himself, “May I ask you something?”

“You can just ask. If it’s something I don’t want to answer, I’ll say so.” Audrey pulled the blanket to her chest.

“What were you dreaming about?”

Audrey stiffened, her fingers curled into the fabric of the blanket. Connor noted her discomfort. This was probably a question she would not answer then according to her physical response.

“I was dreaming of the facility.” She admitted, “I don’t like to think about it.”

“Do you have nightmares often?”

She shook her head, “Not as much now. I did a long time ago. I found a way to cope I guess. Or at least a way to forget for a little bit,” she tapped her cheek thoughtfully, “You were really trying to comfort me?”

“Yes. I searched a database for optimal comfort techniques. A popular one is stroking one’s hair. It seemed to work. Did it?”

Connor noticed the way her ears turned pink and a blush settled across her cheeks. Her eyes darted away from his.

“Yes, thank you.” She mumbled.

Connor nodded and stood up, “You’re welcome.”

They both startled when Sumo let out a snort from his bed. Her laugh was muffled by the blanket as she held it to her mouth. Connor decided he liked the micro expressions she displayed. The way her cheeks dimpled when she smiled. Or the way her brows lifted when she was being sarcastic. The other night he had thought her cold and expressionless, but when away from Tony, she was everything but. Hank made the right decision in trying to help.

Audrey kicked the blanket off of herself. Her arms reached upwards as she stretched. Connor stepped back so she could stand up from the couch. It was almost time to wake up Hank. Almost time for them take her back. Connor wasn’t sure he liked the idea that she would be unprotected until Hank got a warrant to search the warehouse. If he could get one. Anything could happen to her in that span of time. Of course, he only cared because of the mission.

“Your LED is flickering like crazy.” Her voice recaptured his attention.

She was standing in front of him. The top of her head came up to his nose. He stared at the wisps of hair that stuck up around her head then to the downward slope of her nose. Connor didn’t move when she reached up to rest her fingertips on his face. There was a contemplative look on her face. Like she was searching for something.

Audrey pulled her hand away and leaned back, “Hm.”

Connor mimicked her sound as she walked away to the dryer. What exactly had she been searching for? A small smile graced her lips. She pulled her clothes from the dryer and cradled them in her arms. Connor was still staring after her. He was confused.

“Don’t look so concerned Connor. It was nothing.”

He didn’t have a chance to respond before she was walking down the hallway and into the bathroom. She had said it was nothing, but her expression led him to believe it wasn’t. There was nothing in his programming that could prepare him for someone like her.

 

Audrey turned the lights on and shut the door behind her. It had been there again. A break in the static. No words this time, but there didn’t always need to be. It was close enough. Connor wasn’t deviant, but he could be if he chose. He just had to believe he was more than his programming.

Audrey quickly pulled her clothes off and changed into her clothes from the night before. Anxiety bubbled up inside of her. She didn’t want to go back. Everything in her screamed to stay or run, but she couldn’t. She just had to hang on a little longer. She trusted Hank when he said he’d help. It was hard not to when his thoughts were loud and clear to her.

She glanced at herself in the mirror. The bruise wasn’t as bad as before. She still had two black eyes, but the outer edges were starting to turn green. Another day or two and she would look normal. Granted she didn’t get hit in the face again. Turning the faucet on, she splashed water on her face before pulling on her hoodie.

Audrey picked up the dirty clothes and deposited them in what she hoped was the dirty clothes hamper. She jumped when a knock resounded, but she realized it was Connor knocking on Hank’s door. Hank cursed in response, but she heard movement in the other room. Good thing she was done in the bathroom. She exited right as Hank was leaving his room. He stared at her a moment, still looking tired, as if trying to remember who she was.

“Good morning Hank.”

Hank grunted in response. He was definitely not a morning person. She nodded at him and went back to the living room. Connor was sitting in the kitchen again, petting Sumo. There was a calm air about him. She studied him as his cheek twitched at intervals, or his brows furrowed. Cyberlife went all out to make him appear as human as possible. Connor didn’t look up until Hank came out of the bathroom looking presentable.

Somehow, he looked even more exhausted than when he was drunk. He nodded at the two of them.

“Let’s go. I’m not taking you back without feeding you.”

The look he gave her left no room for argument. Which is how she found herself sitting across from him with a plate full of food in front of her. Connor was sitting beside her in the booth. Neither had objected when she pulled her hood to cover her face. Just in case.

Hank had told her to order whatever she wanted and she had barely contained her excitement when she ordered eggs and French toast. The only time Tony let her eat anything extravagant for breakfast was for her “birthday.” It wasn’t ever on her actual birthdate. They celebrated the day he obtained her like it was a birthday. She hated it.

“Are you sure you’re going to be okay to go back?” Hank asked.

Audrey nodded while she finished chewing, “I’ve made it this long. What’s another couple days?”

Hank sighed, “I don’t like it.”

“Me neither,” She agreed, “But I can make it work.”

_I couldn’t save Cole. I have to save her._

Audrey’s eyes flicked to Hank. He was staring into this coffee cup like it had all the answers. She elected not to mention anything. She could only guess who Cole was. It probably had something to do with the picture he kept face down in the kitchen. Or the reason why he smelled of alcohol. It was not a subject Audrey was going to pry into. It wasn’t a hurt she could fix.

Hank paid up while she finished shoveling her breakfast in. She was going to savor the taste of it as quickly as she could. Who know? In a few days she could eat whatever the hell she wanted.

“Alright kid, let’s get you back.”

~

Hank and Connor dropped her off a few blocks away from the mansion. They both looked reluctant to let her go. But she believed this could work. It had to. Sneaking back in was easy enough. Patrols were still sparse because most of Tony’s men were still out looking. The grass was wet under her feet as she made her way to the back door of the kitchen.

She wasn’t surprised to see Luke waiting for her. Even less so when he pulled her into the back stairs and nearly squeezed the life out of her. She had made it back with two hours to spare. He led her back up the stairs and into her room. The mansion was silent around them as they moved. Thankfully, Tony slept in. She felt accomplished. Like a weight had been lifted. She just had to hold out and avoid raising suspicion.

Her and Luke could get the hell out of Detroit. The dream of living on the beach in a home that was theirs could be reality. She believed it. She believed they could be free.

Life is never that simple.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! If you enjoyed it please leave a comment! I love hearing from you guys.


	5. I Don't Belong Here

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warnings: Violence, abuse, attempted rape
> 
> If you have issues with any of those things I will include a synopsis of what happened in the end notes.

It was so damn loud. The crowd, their thoughts, the crunch of plastic from the ring. Tony’s hand was on her shoulder, his fingers digging in every time he cheered. There were still a few fights left to go before it was her turn. Hopefully, she wouldn’t have to fight tonight. She felt like she was going to throw up. What if they didn’t come? What if everything was a lie?

Luke was on her other side. His hand captured hers anytime he could. He was trying to so hard to soothe her, but it wasn’t working tonight. Everything, her hope, her life, was just within her reach. It could be snatched away in an instant. She squeezed Luke’s hand before he had to let go again. Tony’s attention was on her.

Tony’s lip brushed her ear, “You’re almost up. Make sure you win big tonight. I’ve got a treat lined up if you do.”

Those words did nothing to make her feel better. Tony’s idea of a treat was usually vastly different from what anyone else would consider a treat. It was another bit of dread that settled in her stomach. Voice pounded at her head. They all wanted in. She should shut it off. It would save her sanity if she did so, but then she wouldn’t hear what she needed. She needed to hear Hank, or even Connor’s stony silence.

She was scared. So scared. Probably more scared than she had ever been. She didn’t know what to do with her hands or her face. It was so hard to hide her expression or the way her fingers trembled. She shoved her hands underneath her thighs. Maybe that would help. Her eyes closed as she concentrated. Hank had to be somewhere. She just needed to hear him.

The fight ended. They carried the broken android out from the ring. Blue blood coated the mat. It was disgusting. The way people cheered after killing a living being. Some even spit on what was left of it as it was carried to the trash pile. They got to work cleaning the mat for her fight. She didn’t want to do this.

Luke’s fingers found her wrist and he pulled her hand from under her thigh. His thumb rubbed her palm. It did little to evaporate the panic that was clawing its way up her throat. Tear pricked at her eyes. No. She wasn’t going to cry. She was going to do what was necessary to survive for now. And then she was going to fight. If there was nothing else left, she would fight every damn day.

She just wanted someone to save her. Just this once.  

Her movements were robotic and practiced. This was normal. She did this all time. It was just fighting. Oh god, she didn’t want to do this anymore. Her feet were rooted to the spot in the middle of the ring. She didn’t have to. No, she wasn’t going to. Her opponent circled her, trying to taunt her. It was going to work. Her hands clenched into tight fists, but she was not going to fight.

The first punch caught her in the stomach, the second in her chest. As she doubled over, a kick caught her into the knee sending her down on the mat. She caught herself with her hands. Thoughts changed. They were surprised, questioning. Not Tony’s. He was furious. Even her opponent was confused. They expected more. A challenge. She gave them nothing.

_Dammit Audrey. Get up. Fight_.

Even Luke was encouraging her to fight. Not because he enjoyed her fighting, but because he was trying to keep her off of Tony’s bad side. If she didn’t get up, she was done for. She didn’t care.

No fucking more.

Her opponent back off. They waited until she struggled back to her feet. It didn’t matter. They could hit her all night. She would take it. Another punch and then another. The cold metal of the cage dug into her back. Blood dribbled down from her lip. The crowd still cheered despite their confusion. It was a rare occasion to see Tony’s best not give a shit anymore. Perhaps, some of them would actually win some of their money back.

_Shit. If you can hear me kid, we’re coming._

Audrey almost sobbed in relief. The very thoughts she had been begging to hear. He didn’t lie. They both didn’t. The other thoughts didn’t matter. Tony’s fury didn’t burn her like it normally did. It was time to end this. A fist collided with her cheek while she was distracted. She was getting really tired of being hit in the face. She dodged the next punch just as the doors slammed open.

All hell broke loose.

Hank must have brought half of the police force. It was amusing to see the collective look of horror on everyone’s face. They scrambled like cockroaches as DPD tried to detain as many as possible. Tony’s men were already swarming around him. He was yelling and swearing, gesturing wildly to Audrey. Luke broke away from the group, running towards her.

_We need to get out now. It’s no good if you get arrested._

His thoughts spurned her into action. He was right. She needed to get to Tony. He was distracted and he kept the remote in his jacket pocket. There was still a chance. It was small considering she was in the ring when the chaos started. But it was a chance nonetheless. She was running down the steps of the ring right as Luke reached her. He didn’t bother taking her hand, he just threw her over his shoulder and took off. Her protests fell on deaf ears. She was more than capable of running away on her own.

Tony was already leaving out a back door and into a side alley. He would have to move fast to get away from DPD. If they didn’t have anyone posted on that side already. If there was no one there to stop him. Her chance was gone. And Tony might find out it was her. Luke followed Tony’s men out the door and into an empty alleyway.

Fuck. No, no, no.

That was it. Her chance was gone. There were no more distractions.

A car was already waiting at the end of the alley. Luke’s footsteps splashed through puddles as he barreled towards the car. She could hear him cursing inwardly. This couldn’t be it. Audrey grit her teeth in frustration. Luke finally set her down outside of the car. Tony was yelling at her from inside to get in. Everything in her wanted to disobey.

A crash at the end of the alleyway drew her attention. The door nearly broke off its hinges as Connor pushed his way through.

“Audrey!” He shouted, breaking out into a run.

He was too late. Luke was pushing her into the car and climbing in after her. Her eyes met Connor’s before the doors started to slide shut. He looked panicked, which was strange. It wasn’t an expression she would expect on an android that wasn’t deviant. Or maybe it was just a mirror of her own. She managed a weak smile right before the doors closed. At least he tried.

~

“Shit!” Connor stopped as the car pulled away at top speed.

There was no way he could get to her. They had been too late. By the time he had seen her she was already being carried out a side door. A side door that had not been accounted for. It should’ve been. In the end he just wasn’t fast enough. His thirium pump stuttered at the small smile she forced for him. It shouldn’t have bothered him so much. They broke up the ring. They had the androids. There were possible leads in the warehouse behind him. Then why was he still staring after a car he couldn’t catch?

Hank finally came through the door after him, “Did you get her?”

Connor shook his head, “No, she’s gone.”

“Dammit.” Hank spat.

“What do we do now lieutenant?” Connor turned to him.

Hank frowned, “Did you get a positive id on Tony, or anything that could lead us to him?”

Connor had the license plate and he could submit video evidence that included Tony. He was sure he had something. But was there really a point? Could they get to her? Did they really need to? They more than likely could proceed with the case without her. Connor tried to rationalize to himself that they didn’t need to rescue her. However, there was something that was making him pause. The look on her face when he didn’t reach her in time. It was like it imprinted in his memory.

“Connor!”

Connor looked up at Hank. It seemed Hank had been speaking to him for a few minutes. Strange. Normally, Connor did not lose focus like this.

“Send anything you have to Fowler. We need a warrant to search Tony’s.”

“Do you think they will give us one?”

Hank sighed, “I don’t know, but I’m not willing to give up on her just yet. Are you?”

“No lieutenant.”

Connor was surprised by his answer. He didn’t even think about. The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them. He would definitely need to self-test later.

“Good, let’s go.”

~

Audrey paced aggressively from one end of her room to the other. The car ride had been tense. Tony had shouted at his guards, but not at her. In fact, for those few minutes she had ceased to exist. It was their fault. Their negligence. He had lost money, fighters, androids, everything. He was pissed. Audrey couldn’t help but feel a little triumphant. Even if she had not fulfilled her goal, she had still managed to hurt him. The remote was in close reach, but there too many eyes in the car to do anything. So she waited.

Tony finally remembered she was present when they were back in the house. It was just long enough for him to tell her to go to her room. He would deal with her later. There was nothing she could but obey for now. It had been hours since then. She had showered and changed into leggings and a shirt. She did not sleep, and she had tried. The bed was wrong. It smelled wrong, it felt wrong. There were no comforting smells of spice and whiskey.

Luke had watched her pace the last hour. The sun had just started to peak through skyscrapers. She was surprised Tony had not summoned her yet. When he found out his men weren’t involved, he would start to suspect her. It wouldn’t take long for him to look up where she had been via her tracker logs. Or if he pulled footage of any of the outdoor cameras he would see her.

Those thought drove Audrey to nearly wear away the carpet for an hour. Luke finally had enough. His hands shot out and grabbed her by the waist. Audrey went reluctantly as he pulled her to him. His cool forehead rested on her stomach.

“We’ll figure it out Audrey.”

She wanted to believe it. For all she knew, the end waited for her downstairs. Normally she would be a crying mess right now. But there was nothing. Instead she just pulled her arms from around her chest and rested them in Luke’s hair. It probably wouldn’t do anything for him unless he had changed his sensory input. Yet he still seemed to relax as her fingers carded through his hair. It reminded her of Connor, stroking her hair as she slept to comfort her. He had the potential for deviancy. It was a shame she probably wouldn’t get to see it. And she probably wouldn’t see Hank again, or Sumo.

She jumped when her door opened. Luke pulled away and straightened up. It was unnecessary since it was Ava that had come for her. And Ava looked scared. It was always jarring to see an android, something that was supposed to be devoid of emotion, looked absolutely terrified. It meant only one thing. Tony knew. Audrey knew it was coming. There was only one thing she could do. She had to face him. She probably wouldn’t win, but she wouldn’t go down without a fight.

Luke was at her back in an instant. She felt the warmth of his thirium pump through her shirt. It was the last bit of comfort she would get before leaving the room. She was ready to get this over with. All it took was putting one foot in front of the other. Ava led her from the room and Luke trailed from behind. At least she wouldn’t be alone.

The mansion was quiet. It wasn’t peaceful. It was the kind of quiet that existed before something awful happened. The doors to the dining room loomed in front of her. Ava stopped just before the doors and squeezed Audrey’s hand. Audrey drew in one last deep breath and pushed the doors open.

The room was light despite the lingering heaviness. Muted light poured in through the windows as the sun continued its ascent. A fire roared in the fireplace to provide a small bit of warmth. The table had two places set. She spied an actual breakfast like she had at the diner with Hank and Connor. Tony was sitting at the head of the table, holding a virtual paper in his hand. To anyone else, it might have looked like a normal breakfast. Warm and comforting. A father seated at the head of the table waiting for his daughter to join him.

Those people would have missed the blood on Tony’s knuckles. The tense air that nearly choked Audrey the moment she walked in the room. Or the gun that was left out beside Tony’s plate. Nothing about this was normal.

Audrey squared her shoulders and walked over to the table. She would not show him her fear. Not anymore. She sat down beside him at the table while Luke took his position against the wall behind her. Normally, real food would make her mouth water and she would be unable to resist diving in. Today it just turned her stomach. She touched nothing. Five minutes dragged like nails across her skin before Tony put down the tablet. A hefty sigh escaped his lips.

He said nothing to her. He just started eating like she wasn’t even in the room. Time dragged on and Tony just acted like everything was completely fine. Audrey’s heart thudded in her chest. At any moment he could shoot her or detonate her. When her fingers started to tremble, she clenched them together and pressed them in her lap. Audrey fought to keep her face neutral.

Finally, Tony set down his silverware and leaned back in his chair. Only then did he look at her in mock surprise.

“Audrey, you didn’t touch your breakfast.”

“I’m not hungry.” Her reply was automatic.

“Audrey, you have to eat. It’s-“

“Just get it over with Tony.” She hissed between her teeth.

Tony leaned back and chuckled, “If that’s want you want Audrey,” He pushed his chair back and stood up, “I will admit. You have surprised me. I never expected such resourcefulness and such betrayal from you.”

He stood behind her chair, his hands resting on her shoulders, “If it wasn’t against me, I would be prouder.”

He didn’t leave his hands on her shoulders for long. Tony pulled out her chair and turned it to the side. Silently, he kneeled in front of her. He had no weapons. Nor did he have any ill intent in his gaze. It didn’t make Audrey feel better.

“You almost got away with it, but there had been something bothering me all night,” His hand reached in his pocket, “That android knew your name.”

Audrey’s heart beat wildly. Of course, he had noticed Connor. Connor had called her name trying to get to her. Her eyes strayed to his hand. She could only guess what he was holding in his hand. He plucked the remote from his pocket and laid it on the table. It was right there. Right within her reach. Tony stood back up and towered over her.

“What did you tell that detective Audrey?” He started to undo his belt.

She wouldn’t justify his question with an answer. The leather pulled free from his belt loops. He folded the belt in half. It didn’t matter what he did. She didn’t have to give him anything. Her eyes strayed to the remote. A plan, she just needed a plan and she could end this.

The snap of leather drew her attention back to Tony.

“What did you tell the detective Audrey?” He repeated himself.

She pressed her lips together. Tony waited a moment before nodding to himself. The leather bit into skin of her cheek as he hit her. It was enough force to snap her head sideways and send her towards the table. Her fingers gripped the edge of the table in an effort to steady herself. The remote was so close. If she was quick, she would have it.

Tony wasn’t stupid. Nothing he did was an accident. He was ready the moment she tried to reach for it. His fingers wrapped around her wrist and held it down to the table. Audrey didn’t even have time to struggle. Cold steel pierced her hand to the table. A scream echoed in the room. Oh god it was her. She was screaming. Tears poured down her face. With trembling fingers, she reached for the handle of the knife with her other hand. Tony had accounted for that. He grabbed her other hand and wrestled it to the arm of the chair. The belt dug into her skin, strapping her down.

_Audrey!_

She made eye contact with Luke. His fists were clenched so tight she was surprised he hadn’t broken them. She gave an imperceptible shake of her head.

_Don’t. If you do anything they’ll have you disassembled._

Her focus strayed back to the knife. She wouldn’t heal unless she could get it out. Blood seeped from her hand. Tony’s hands cradled her face and redirected his attention. He was laughing.

“You’re just too fucking easy Audrey. Did you really think I’d give you a chance to be rid of me?”

She tried to look away but his nails dug into her skin to keep her focused. He pressed his lips to her forehead and she felt like she was going to puke.

“Why are you making me do this to you Audrey?” He stroked her hair lovingly, “Do you have any idea how special you are to me? I could give you everything, but you just won’t be a good girl.”

“Just get it over with!” She yelled, “Hurt me, kill me, it doesn’t fucking matter anymore.”

He chuckled, “Oh Audrey, everything I’m going to do to you is going matter. And I’m going to take everything I want.”

Dread settled in her stomach when he started unbuttoning his shirt. He wouldn’t. He never had before. Yet, the way he looked at her, was different. Pride mixed with lust. She had defied him for the first time and it had made her more desirable to him. This wasn’t happening. Her lungs burned as she tried to take deep breaths. There was a way out. She just had to find it. Pain and panic mixed as she tried to think through the haze.

Tony gripped one her thighs, his thumb bruising her.

“No!” She shouted and used her other leg to kick at him.

It seemed a futile effort, but she was surprised when her foot connected. Tony’s head snapped back. His nose snapped under the force and blood poured down his face. Showing his teeth, he snarled at her and reached for her again while curses flew from his mouth. This time something hit Tony from the side. In a blur of skin and plastic, Luke tackled Tony and they tumbled to the floor. Tony was powerless to stop the fists that collided with his face.

“Luke! Stop!” Audrey shouted, straining to pull her hand free from the belt, “Don’t kill him. Luke please!”

Her words fell on deaf ears. Sickening crunches followed every punch, even after Tony had stopped moving. Audrey continued to plead for Luke to stop. Tony was already dead, but she didn’t stop pleading. If people knew Luke was deviant he would be arrested and taken apart. She couldn’t lose him. Crimson pooled underneath Tony’s head and started to spread out. Only then did Luke pull away. Blood coated his hands and was splattered against his face and uniform.

The doors to the dining room opened with a bang. It was probably Tony’s goons seeing what the commotion was about. They would kill Luke on the spot and possibly her too.

“Don’t move.” A voice that was familiar, but did not belong to any of Tony’s men rang out from the doorway.

Luke slowly raised his hands in the air, “I’ll go peacefully. Just please help her.”

Footsteps neared her chair. Someone kneeled in front of her. Even through her tears she recognized the brown eyes that stared into hers. His mouth moved. She was pretty sure he was trying to comfort her. With deft movements he made quick work of loosening the belt around her wrist. She flexed her fingers trying to regain some feeling.

“Jesus! Audrey?” Another familiar face moved into her vision.

“Hank?” Her voice trembled and she sniffed to keep herself from sobbing.

Hank shared a small look with Connor before he turned back to her. Officers moved in and out of her peripheral vision. They were handcuffing Luke. She opened her mouth to protest, but the only sound she made was a scream as the knife was pulled from her hand. Calloused hands cradled her face while smooth ones wrapped a cloth around her hand to staunch any bleeding. For such a gruff exterior, Hank was handling her like she might break. It made her cry even harder.

Connor looked at the contents of the table, his eyes falling on the remote. He reached for it and Audrey almost told him to stop. What if he used it against her? What if it was a ploy? Who would say no to have someone like her subjugated to their will? He looked back at her once he had it in his hand. Something in her expression made him pause and frown slightly. Connor kneeled down in front of her next to Hank. He studied the device for moment before he hit one of the buttons.

Audrey was prepared for the worst. The only thing she heard was a small click as the collar unlocked. Connor set the remote back down. His hands didn’t waver once as he reached around her neck. Gently, he pulled the metal apart and away from her neck. The skin was raw and mottled from old burns. It had been so long since it had just breathed. Relief crashed into her and she leaned forward to rest her forehead on Hank’s shoulder. He rubbed her back soothingly like it was instinct. She didn’t have to look to know Luke was being escorted through the house and tossed in the back of a police car. The only family she had and she was going to lose him.

She was free and it didn’t even fucking matter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Synopsis: DPD breaks up one of Tony's fights, Audrey has to go back to the mansion, Tony does some shit, Luke kills him, Connor and Hank get there and take off her collar.
> 
> Thank you for the comments thus far. I really appreciate them. My next update or two may be a little late. I've got my final projects to finish this week. 
> 
> Thank you for all the support!


	6. Where Is My Mind?

The interrogation room was quiet. The android dubbed “Luke” sat silently across from Hank, his hands resting on the table palms down. Nobody had bothered to clean the blood from its hands. Its gaze was unflinching as it gazed back at Hank. Androids unnerved him. It was the reason he couldn’t understand why the fuck they put him on the deviant case with an android. However, this particular case didn’t bother him. Tony Campofiore had a violent death coming. It was just a shame Hank had to still do his job.

Connor sat beside him, ramrod straight, the coin traveling in between his fingers. Hank had to fight the urge to roll his eyes. They just needed to get this done and over with. A small sigh puffed out from between Hank’s lips. He opened the file and stared at the gruesome images.

“Why did you kill him?” Hank asked.

“Is that a serious question?” The android fired back.

Connor stiffened beside him, “I’d advise you to answer the question.”

“I’m aware of what she told you detective. You know what he’s done to her. You saw it yourself. I stopped him from causing her any further harm.”

Connor paused, processing the android’s answer, “You didn’t interfere when she was hit, nor when she was stabbed. You waited. Why?”

Luke’s hands clenched into fists, “She didn’t want me to interfere. She was afraid I would be deactivated.”

“What changed?” Hank leaned forward.

Luke’s eyes strayed to the cuffs around his wrist, “What he was going to do…he was trying to take control of her back. I couldn’t do nothing. I wouldn’t allow him to force himself on her.” His brows furrowed, “I protected her. I would do it again.”

Connor processed the implications of his words. He was discomfited by the thoughts of anyone being sexually assaulted. Let alone someone he had become acquainted with. Would he have acted differently? It would have had nothing to do with his mission to interfere, so would he stand by and let it happen? It was a question he would have to think more on later.

“This incident, is that what caused you to deviate?” Hank continued questioning.

“No.” Luke’s answer was simple.

“How long have you been deviant?” Connor asked.

Luke’s eyes flicked upwards to meet Connor’s, “A few years.”

That was surprising. There were no records of deviancy that went back that far. Was it a onetime occurrence? Was he the one that started it all? How could he have been deviant for this long and managed to stay undetected? Even Hank looked confused.

“How?” Hank asked.

A small smile curved Luke’s lips upward, “She woke me up.”

“That is impossible,” Connor leaned, his hands face down on the table, “She is a human.”

Luke leaned forward until he was in whispering distance, “She gives us dreams.”

“Machines don’t have dreams.” Connor argued.

“I’m not a machine anymore. I’m alive.”

Hank sat back in his chair. Silence fell over the room once again. The deviants that Connor had encountered before now had also proclaimed they were alive. They could feel and think for themselves. If they were to be believed they didn’t just have errors in their programming, they didn’t have any programming left. Not to mention the implication that Audrey could somehow wake up androids and help them break free. If that was true, he would have no choice but to include it in his report to Cyberlife. However, with no proof, he would elect to leave it out of his report. It was far-fetched at best.

Hank rubbed his jaw, “So in the end you confess to killing Tony Campofiore.”

Luke closed his eyes and nodded, “Yes.”

Hank closed the file in front of him. He didn’t feel good about this, but what choice did he have? Audrey and the deviant obviously cared for each other. He couldn’t comprehend it, but it didn’t feel fake. She had already gone through enough and now Hank was going to be party to taking away someone she was close to. All he had wanted to do was help her. Now everything is a bigger mess than it was before. It just showed how much Hank could manage to fuck up.

“That’s all we need then.” Hank stood up.

Connor nodded and followed his lead.

“Lieutenant!”

Hank turned back to android still sitting at the table.

“She is stubborn. She’ll go looking for the truth. Please don’t let it change her when she finds it.”

 

Audrey sat in the chair beside Hank’s desk, bundled up in his coat. One hand was curled around a cup of coffee, the other was holding an ice pack to her cheek. She hadn’t taken a sip of the coffee. Anytime she thought of doing so her stomach would recoil. She couldn’t really believe he was dead. Years of torment and she was free of it. It almost seemed too good to be true. Every few minutes her fingers would drift to her neck, and she would marvel at the feeling of bandages instead of metal.

Eyes bored into her from every angle. The attention made her hunch over to try and hide further into the coat. It was like everyone, and yet no one at all, knew who she was. The daughter of a crime boss that wasn’t the least bit broken up over her “fathers” death. Who was she really? She didn’t even know.

This was all wrong. It wasn’t supposed to happen this way. After everything, she just wanted some sort of happy ending. Now there wouldn’t be one. They were going to deactivate Luke. There was no way they couldn’t. How was she supposed to do this without him? Was she even going to get to say goodbye?

Audrey was tired of just sitting there and waiting. It felt like hours had passed. Perhaps they had. She stood, pushing the chair back with her legs. Stretching them out might make her feel a little less trapped. Audrey wandered through the maze of desks ignoring the pointed stares. She paused beside the holding rooms. A few of the fighters that had been caught sneered at her through the glass. It wasn’t all of them.

Of course, they wouldn’t be happy. Because of her they had lost their source of income. However, she didn’t have it in her to feel bad about it. She turned her back to them and leaned against the glass. Every few minutes her eyes would stray down the hallway that led to the interrogation rooms. They had been in there for a long time. She wanted to reach Luke, but he was too far. Maybe if she got a little closer?

There wasn’t a need. A minute later and Hank and Connor were exiting a room. Another cop went in after them for just a moment before he came back out with Luke. Audrey straightened as the group neared the holding cells. Connor’s face was smooth, betraying nothing, but Hank’s was nothing but apologetic. She swallowed. Hank had helped her like she asked. It wasn’t his fault. No matter how much his thoughts projected into the space between them, Audrey wouldn’t blame him for this.

Hank and Connor stopped in front of her, but the other officer continued into the cells with Luke. He didn’t even get to make eye contact with her. He was just shuffled forward. It wasn’t fair. Luke didn’t fight. He just gave her a small smile from the other side of the glass.

_It’ll be okay._

No, it wouldn’t. Nothing would ever be okay.

Audrey turned to Hank, “Can I talk to him?”

“I don’t advise it,” Connor answered instead, “and it is against protocol.”

Her gaze flicked to Connor for a second, then she shifted her attention back to Hank, “Please,” She lowered her volume, “I just want to say goodbye. Can’t I do that?”

Hank sighed and looked between Luke and her. Audrey could hear the conflicting thoughts in his head. He still wasn’t convinced androids felt emotion, but this felt real to him. He tried his best to reason with himself that it was a bad idea. However, he also knew the importance and the need for closure. Finally, he nodded to the officer.

“Five minutes. That’s all I can give you. And you can’t be alone.” He relented.

Audrey nodded. Connor opened his mouth to protest, but Audrey was already slipping into the holding cells. The officer stood by just in case. Hank and Connor stayed on the other side of the glass to keep an eye. The door to Luke’s cell hadn’t been closed yet. He was standing in the middle of the room waiting for her. It didn’t matter that they were being watched. Nothing could stop the tears that rolled down her cheeks. Luke raised his hands, still bound by the cuffs, to wipe the tears from her face.

“This isn’t fair.” She choked on a sob.

His lips pressed against her forehead in silent agreement, “I need you to something for me Audrey.” He murmured against her skin.

She didn’t answer, but he knew she was listening.

“I need you to keep going Audrey. Start living. Find your truth, whatever it is. You are so much more than what they made of you.”

Audrey buried her face in his chest not bothering to hide the sobs that ripped from her throat. The fabric of his shirt quickly became damp. His cheek rested on her head as he did his best to console her. She should’ve been the one to kill Tony if that was how it had to go. It should be her, not him. Maybe they would have let her go in self-defense. But they would never let an android defend itself and walk free.

“I can’t,” She hiccupped, “do this without you.” His shirt muffled her voice.

Luke pulled away to cup her face as well as he could, “You can. If anyone can, it’s you.”

_I love you Audrey._

His lips were warm as they pressed against hers. Their first and last kiss. It was like saying hello and goodbye all at once. Her salty tears mixed with his tasteless ones. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. Images flashed between them. Things that had happened. Fingers that twined together, laughter that warmed them on cold nights, embraces that held the nightmares at bay. And things that never would. Toes sinking in the sand, stars that twinkled overhead, a house that was warm and theirs. A home. Images that dissolved the moment they pulled apart.

A tap on the glass signaled that their time was up. This was it. She didn’t want to go. This couldn’t be the end. Luke’s fingers touched her cheek one last time. His thumb swiped the drying tears from her face. Taking measured steps forward to make her step back, he pushed her from the room. The moment she was clear the glass slid shut. She could break it. She could get him out of here. She could. They were both fast and both strong. The dream couldn’t end here.

_Promise me Audrey. Promise me._

She met his gaze through the glass. He would never let her try. He would not let her live her life as a fugitive. Audrey pressed her hand to the glass.

“I promise.”

Luke’s shoulders sagged in relief. It was unfathomable. A man that was going to essentially die, and he didn’t even look scared. This was bullshit. She wasn’t that goddamn important that someone she loved could just throw their life and freedom away for her. The glass trembled underneath her touch. Her promise was already suffocating her. It’s what made her pull her hand away from the glass. It’s what carried her out of the holding cells and back into the heart of the precinct.

Connor and Hank were waiting for her. Connor’s disc was a consistent yellow. He frowned at her. It was evident he didn’t understand and frankly she didn’t feel like explaining anything to him. Longing twisted her insides into something angry and spiteful. Her words threatened to spill forth and cut everyone in her way. It took everything in her to contain the vitriol that burned her throat.

Finally, she managed to settle on one word, “Bathroom?”

Hank pointed behind him towards the lobby. There was no hesitation as she moved past them. Any other officers moved out of her way. Even with a tear-stained face, she made them nervous. The doors to the bathroom automatically opened. Thank god it was empty. Audrey activated the water for the sink and splashed her face. The cold water made her flinch. Her fingers rubbed at the dried tears. Eyes full of loss and anger stared back at her in the mirror. What else would life take from her?

 

Connor sat at his desk across from the lieutenant. He would catch the lieutenant’s eyes straying to the bathroom every few minutes. Audrey had been in there for 17 minutes and 36 seconds. No one had gone in to check on her. Connor had thought about it, but what would he say? She would undoubtedly blame him for doing his job. He was built to catch deviants. He did not have a choice.

Everything about her confused him. How could she give them dreams? Could she only do it for deviants? Could she give him a dream? What were dreams like? Why had she been so adamant in saying goodbye? Why had she kissed the android? Did she think they were capable of love? So many questions. None of them were really relevant. But it didn’t stop Connor from wondering.

He had shown surprise when observing her and the other android. Androids designed specifically for pleasing humans were common, but the AP400 was not built as such. Intimacy was not in their programming. Yet, Luke and Audrey kissed as if they were human lovers. It was disconcerting. Connor could not understand it.

The sound of a door opening drew his attention. Audrey stepped from the bathroom, her face red and splotchy. He detected water particles that remained on her face. With her hands firmly in Hank’s jacket pockets, she walked over to their desks. Unfortunately, that meant she had to pass Gavin Reed on her way. The detective was sitting on the edge of his desk, coffee in hand. His telltale leer signified trouble. He waited until she stood beside Hank’s desk to finally comment.

“Can’t believe she kissed that thing.”

His comment was loud enough to hush the background chatter of the precinct. Audrey’s eyes flashed, but she composed herself before turning around. Hank was already on his feet ready to chastise Gavin. It rarely did any good. Connor noticed Gavin took any chance he could get to disparage androids. It was not an uncommon reaction. Audrey turned to meet Gavin’s stare. Her eyes flicked up and down in a slow motion before she focused on returning his eye contact. It was the same scrutinizing gaze she often used on Connor. Gavin shifted uncomfortably, but tried to maintain stance.

“People often attack others to cover up their own insecurities. I wonder, which insecurity are you trying to hide?” Her voice was strong and even for someone who had just sobbed.

Gavin’s expression twisted, “I don’t have insecurities sweetheart.”

“Really? Are you sure it isn’t your inadequacies as a detective?” She leaned back on the desk and crossed her arms across her chest, “Or maybe it’s the crushing impotency.”

Gavin was on his feet in a second. His pace was quick, as if he was trying to outrun the laughter that broke out through the precinct. Hank was already moving to stand in front of Audrey, but Connor beat him to it. Connor’s chair was still spinning as Gavin went toe to toe with the RK800. A finger poked Connor’s chest, but he didn’t move.

“Out of my way you plastic fucker.” Gavin hissed.

“She is a witness in an ongoing investigation. It would be unwise to do anything rash Detective Reed.”

Gavin sneered, “For an android, you’re not good at obeying orders,” His hand rested on his gun, “Maybe you’re a deviant.”

“That’s enough Reed!” Hank pushed his way to the front, “This has gone far enough.”

Gavin glared between the three of them. His gaze rested on Audrey before he raised his hands up in front of him.

He backed off with a smirk plastered on his face, “You let me know if you want to kiss a real man sweetheart.”

Connor noted the way her heart beat faster and her core temperature rose by a degree. The skin he could see was turning a light shade of pink, except for her ears. Her ears were a bright red. Her hands clenched into fists so tight, they shook. Perhaps he should try to comfort her again? However, he wasn’t sure if it was an appropriate gesture while in public. Or if she would even want him to do so. So, Connor kept his hands to himself. After a minute her fingers unclenched and her shoulders dropped. She was quite adept at calming herself it would seem.

Audrey grimaced, “Is he always-“

“An asshole? Yeah.” Hank nodded.

“I was going to say repulsive, but I guess asshole sums it up.”

“Uh Lieutenant.”

An officer balked as all three of them turned their gaze on him.

“Whaddaya got Chris?”

“There’s been another murder. Two blocks away from the warehouse we raided last night.”

Hank cursed, “Dammit.” Of course there would be another murder when he was already running on no sleep and no idea what to do with the young woman standing beside Connor.

“We should probably go then Hank.” Audrey piped up.

Hank turned to Audrey in surprise, “We?”

She nodded, “I said I would help you. I meant it.” 

“I don’t know…” He trailed off. He had helped her because he wanted to, not because of what she could supposedly do for them. Not to mention she had been through enough for the day.

“Please Hank,” she shrugged, “I don’t…I don’t know what to do anymore.”

In his defense, he shouldn’t have looked at her. The big brown eyes that looked like they would fill with tears at any moment. He cursed inwardly. They had come this far. Maybe it would be best for her right now if she kept going. She clearly wasn’t ready to grieve yet. Hank knew that feeling.

“Shit,” he sighed, “Let’s go.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for being patient! I had a lot of school work to do, plus my sleep schedule is all messed up so I am tired. I started working on chapter 7. At the absolute latest I should have it posted in a week (unless something happens which I hope not). If you find any typos feel free to point them out to me! 
> 
> Thank you for reading!


	7. High Hopes for the Living

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warnings: Death, discussions of loss

Hank’s eyes strayed to the rearview mirror every few minutes. He could admit he was worried about the girl that was huddled in his backseat. It was like she had shrunk in the last few hours. Her knees were pulled to her chest and her hood was covering her face. She had insisted on giving Hank’s jacket back before they left the station. All that kept her warm was a thin hoodie and leggings. He was tempted to go find her a proper winter jacket. Tony couldn’t even manage to make sure she had a decent winter wardrobe. He was a piece of shit. But what else was knew?

His fingers tightened on the wheel when he thought he saw tears drip from her chin. The parental instincts were hitting Hank full force. He was not prepared. Audrey was not what he expected. What was she going to do after this? Sure, she could help them catch a deviant today, but what about tomorrow? And the next day? Worry twisted his stomach into knots. Maybe he could help her. Audrey chewed on the end of one of her strings and he fought the urge to tell her to spit it out. He stopped himself before sighing hard enough it drew Connor’s attention.

The android was probably analyzing everything from his expression to the way his hands gripped the wheel. Hank waited for the probing, and often annoying, questions that were ready to fly out of the android’s mouth. Thankfully, they never came. It seems even Connor was wallowing in the depressing atmosphere. The mood stayed that way until Hank pulled up to the warehouse. There was already a perimeter set up and guarded by a few of the police androids. And of course Gavin, the prick, was lurking around. Audrey’s hand reached for the door handle, but Hank cleared his throat. She paused and looked up at him.

“I think you should stay in the car for now.” Hank said, meeting her gaze in the rearview.

He prepared himself to fend off her arguments. It was surprising when she nodded mutely and sat back against the seat. Her eyes flickered to the crime scene briefly. Despite her insistence to come, she didn’t seem very interested in actually finding anything. Hank couldn’t blame her. She had that same lost look on his face that he had when…

An ungodly screech of his car door helped push the thought from his mind. Dwelling on the past wasn’t of much good to either of them right now. Thinking about what he has lost wasn’t going to help solve the case or help her. Hank shut the car door and headed towards the crime scene. He knew Connor was right behind them. There was no way the android wouldn’t be following him at this point. It was like having an annoying, but somewhat useful, puppy.

Gavin turned and sneered at the two causing Hank to sigh again. He couldn’t wait to have a drink.

 

Audrey leaned her head against the cold glass of the window. It had only been half an hour since Hank and Connor left her in the car. To her it felt like hours. Everything was quiet. Too quiet. Now every thought she had kept at bay was pounding on her skull. It had been easier to drown everything out with Hanks heavy metal. With it gone, the guilt and the grief ripped at her insides. Now she was truly alone. That’s why she had asked to come along. She was afraid of going back to the mansion. Luke wasn’t there and he was never going to be there again. That big empty house was going to swallow her alive.

Time ticked by making Audrey more and more restless. The car started to feel like it was compacting. It was going to crush her at any moment. Audrey opened the door to breathe in the cool air. Hank said he wanted her to stay with the car, but that didn’t mean she had to stay in it the whole time. She stretched her legs as she climbed out of the car. Closing the door behind her, she leaned on the cool metal. Dark clouds moved overhead signaling more rain. Soon it would be snow.

The police androids stared at her impassively from the crime scene tape hologram. It was sort of creepy when they weren’t deviant. They looked so lifelike and human, but they weren’t alive. Not yet anyways.

Audrey rubbed her hands up and down her arms to keep warm. She was going to need adequate winter clothes for once. Hoodies and leggings just weren’t going to cut it. How was she going to pay for it? She doubted Tony left her anything, but there was the cash Luke had squirrelled away. Maybe she should just use it to get the hell out of here.

_They’re going to find us. They’re going to kill us._

Audrey stopped moving and cocked her head to the side. That had to be the deviant. It didn’t feel like it was coming from the warehouse that Hank and Connor were in, but it felt close. She stood up from the car and circled around listening for the source. Listening was sometimes like trying to find a frequency on the radio. Audrey had to concentrate until she found the right one. It was harder if they weren’t projecting their thoughts.

_We have to get to Jericho._

She only heard one voice, but it was alluding to multiple deviants. Just how many had managed to break their programming? Audrey started walking in the direction of the voice. It was coming from across the crime scene. Shipping containers, filled with god knows what, were stacked beside each other in groups. Audrey slipped between two. Every time she heard another thought it led her further and further away from Hank and Connor. In hindsight, it was probably stupid, but maybe if she found them first she could help them get away. No part of her wanted to actually catch a deviant.

The only sound was her footsteps against the wet pavement echoing between the containers. The voice had stopped, but she knew she was close. Audrey turned down another corner. Everything was starting to look the same. None of the containers were distinguishable anymore. She was definitely lost. Something cold and metallic pressed against the back of her head. Yup, this was definitely stupid. Audrey raised her hands up in the air to show she was unarmed.

“Turn around...slowly.” Their voice was staticky, like it’s voice box was damaged.

Audrey complied, making sure she didn’t startle them. A damaged AC700 glared at her. There were gashes in the artificial skin of the face and arms. The rest of their body was covered up. The throat was torn open, exposing the crushed voice box. Audrey was surprised the android could talk at all. 

“I kn-w you,” the gun pressed against her forehead, “You…ne of…them. Fight-r.”

Audrey nodded, unsure if speaking was a good idea. It was surprising how unafraid she was with a gun pointed at her head.

“You don…f-ght…us.”

Audrey didn’t know if it was a question or a statement, but she nodded.

“I don’t fight androids.” She confirmed.

“Why?”

Audrey didn’t need to think of her answer, “Because you’re alive.”

The gun wavered a moment, but it was still too close for comfort. Just a little extra pressure and she was shot. She might actually die without meaning to. Shit. How was she going to convince a deviant that she just wanted to help? As far as the deviant knew, she was just a human that wandered too close. A fighter at that. Audrey might end up victim number 4. But there was one thing she could do that the others couldn’t.

Audrey slowly lowered her right hand and stretched it out towards the deviant. She hated the way her fingers trembled. Suspicious eyes flicked towards her hand and then back to her face.

“Wh-t are…ou…do—g?”

“I want to help, but you won’t believe me until I show you why.” Audrey’s voice shook.

The deviant’s gaze just kept flickering between Audrey’s eyes and Audrey’s hand. Indecision made its LED flicker wildly.

“Please. It’s just a hand.”

The deviant took one hand away from the gun, but still kept it pointed at Audrey. It gripped her hand, not too tightly, pressing its palm against Audrey’s. It would have to do. They were both unsure and both afraid of the next step. That surprised Audrey. For as much disdain as the deviant had for the fighters, it didn’t want to kill her. Audrey slowly gripped their hand back. She could do this.

Connections were like threads. New ones were tenuous at best. Small little threads that could snap with too much tension. For stronger threads it took time, and Audrey did not have the luxury of time. She thought of everything she could, everything that would mean something to the deviant. Audrey thought of Luke. The love and caring they had for each other. The feeling of safety within each other’s company. Dreams that they had shared with only each other. A human and an android as companions. The feelings, the images, the memories were all coming fast. For a normal human, they wouldn’t be able to process it, but for an android it was enough. The deviant dropped her hand and pointed the gun away from Audrey.

Audrey leaned back against the container. It worked. She communicated years’ worth of love in just a few minutes. Tears dripped down the deviant’s face. They matched Audrey’s own. Audrey sniffed and furiously wiped the tears from her cheeks. Not now.

_A human and an android._

“It never mattered.” Audrey’s voice was soft.

The deviant looked back up at her. They looked…relieved. They believed her. Audrey let out a breath. Hank and Connor were bound to be looking for her soon. A plan of action needed to be in place before they found her.

“How many of you are there?” Audrey asked.

“Six.”

That wasn’t too many. Audrey could snag one of Tony’s cars and it would fit all of them. It would have to wait until later tonight, but it was doable. There was also the matter of how damaged they were. There might be a few spare parts and some thirium that Tony had on hand, but what if they needed more than that? What if Connor caught onto their trail before then? There were so many variables and not enough time.

“Audrey!”

They both froze at the sound of Hank bellowing her name. Time was up. They needed something and they needed it now. She was too close to the deviants. If she was found so were they. She could go back, but they would wonder why she was over here. Hank might believe any lie she managed to tell, but Connor would be harder to convince. It was doubtful he would stop searching on her word alone.

“We have to lead them away.” Audrey whispered.

Her name was called again, echoing between the containers. The deviant nodded at her before grabbing her. Plastic fingers dug into her shoulder. She was pushed back the way she came. They had to get far enough away from the others. The deviant lead her to retrace her steps back through the narrow alley ways. Hank’s voice came closer and closer. They were close. The deviant pressed the gun against her temple, but Audrey wasn’t afraid. They weren’t going to shoot, just threaten.

Audrey was pushed into a small, open area that Hank and Connor had just entered. Everyone froze at the same time. Hank’s hand was on his gun, but the deviant pressed the gun hard enough to Audrey’s skin she was sure she was going to have a mark from it. Getting the message, Hank slowly raised his hands in the air. Connor stood beside him, his LED flashing yellow. He was analyzing the situation. Trying to find where he could interfere and complete his mission. He just kept looking increasingly frustrated.

“Are you okay Audrey?” Hank asked.

She nodded, “Yeah. I’m okay.”

“I told you to wait in the car.” He tried his best to chastise her, but she knew he was just worried. He felt somewhat responsible for her now.

“Sorry Hank. I should have listened.”

Hank looked at the deviant, “Don’t shoot her. We just want to talk.” Hank spoke, trying his best to sound reassuring.

“We want to understand how deviancy spreads.” Connor continued.

The deviant didn’t respond. They just clutched Audrey’s shoulder tightly.

_Promise you’ll help them. Please. They have to make it Jericho._

_I promise._

Audrey never thought she would be making two entirely different promises in the same day. Relief flooded through the deviant and their grip slackened. Connor took notice. His eyes darted back and forth. It looked like he was finding the most opportune moment to act. The deviant didn’t give him that chance. Audrey was pushed to the side. She flung her hands out to catch herself on the pavement. Before Connor could close the distance, a shot rang out and the deviant collapsed. Audrey didn’t have to look.

She felt it.

The connection was still there for her. Neither of them had severed it before the deviant put the gun underneath its chin and fired. Fear coursed through her veins in a mimic of the deviant’s emotions. They didn’t want to die, she didn’t want to die. But to save the others, they didn’t hesitate. The deviant trusted her to live up to her word. They trusted Audrey enough to shoot themselves with no hesitation. The bullet tore through skin and plastic. It only took seconds, but to Audrey it felt like a life time white-hot heat tearing through her skull. She could feel it as it blasted through biocomponents and broke through the plastic shell for the final time. Her fingers clutched her head, half-expecting to find thirium weeping from a wound.

All this time, living with Tony, she had felt like she was dying. Like she knew what death felt like. Nothing compared.

Audrey tried her best to pick herself up, but her stomach rolled in protest. Everything felt slow and sluggish. She was pretty sure Hank was calling her name and cussing. Knowing Hank, the cussing part was definitely true. Hands hooked underneath her armpits and helped her stand up. Audrey leaned into the person to keep from falling back over. The smell of old spice and whiskey was familiar, and oddly comforting, to her now. She was pretty sure Hank was trying to soothe her. It was hard to tell with the ringing in her ears. He purposefully blocked her from seeing the body.

Hank led her by the elbow back to the car. It was hard to believe all of this happened in a span of half an hour. Maybe she shouldn’t have gotten out of the car. Connor might have even been unable to find the deviants. Audrey could have gotten someone killed for nothing. Everything she did. Every plan she made, just made every situation more fucked up. She couldn’t do any of this right.

Hank got her into the backseat and shut the door. It was freezing in the car now. Audrey shoved her hands in the pocket of her hoodie and drew her knees to her chest. It took every ounce of willpower she had not to look out the window. She should. She should make herself look at what she caused, but she couldn’t bring herself to either. This was the culmination of her choices. If her want to be free was going to cost so many lives already, maybe she should’ve just kept on suffering. This could’ve all been for nothing, but it was much too late now.

She had promises to keep.

~

It was just one mess after another. Hank couldn’t catch a break since the case started. First, he was assigned to all deviant android cases, because fuck his feelings apparently. Not only that, but he had to work with one of the plastic assholes or it was his badge. Then he had to get involved with a crime boss and his…Audrey. Hank wished he could mad at her or scared of her, but to him, she was just a lost kid. It didn’t matter where she came from or whose daughter she had to masquerade as for years. Not a damn bit.

Hank had already had his ass chewed by Fowler for having a civilian at a crime scene. That didn’t even include the tirade for allowing her to be in a situation where she could’ve been hurt. Blah blah blah. Something about making the DPD look bad. Hank didn’t have it in him to even look like he cared. Not when his eyes kept straying to the girl in question. She was sitting at his desk again, her head resting on top of her arms. Connor was taking his “keeping an eye on her” order seriously. The android hadn’t budged from his seat, his gaze firmly trained on her.

“Are you even listening to me?” Fowler slammed his hands on his desk to punctuate his question.

“No.”

Fowler pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a sigh, “Look, I won’t even pretend I know what you’re thinking anymore. So, I’m just going to let you off with a warning, because I don’t fucking feel like filing another report today. Keep civilians away from crime scenes, especially when they’re the children of a mob boss.”

“She isn’t his daughter.” Hanks reply was automatic, and surprising to him. Why did it matter? She was a loose end in a case that is now tied up. She found the deviant, they both held up their ends of the bargain. A major player being offed was just a plus. He didn’t need to defend who she was or wasn’t. It was no longer his problem. Except, maybe he wanted it to be.

“I don’t care. Just get the fuck out of my office and take her outta here.” Fowler shook his head.

He didn’t have to tell Hank twice. Fowler’s office sucked on normal days, even more so now since Hank was tired, hungry, and confused to all hell. The glass door shut behind him. It was the first time Connor’s eyes left Audrey. He stood as Hank approached the desks. He pressed a finger too his lips and tilted his head in Audrey’s direction. An incredibly human gesture. Hank wondered if they programmed him with that one or if he looked it up. Either way, the message was clear. She had fallen asleep at the desks. Hank couldn’t blame her. They were probably tied for the hours they hadn’t slept and meals they had missed.

Hank raised his hand to touch her back, but he hesitated. Maybe he shouldn’t touch her? What if it startled her? Or what if she just wouldn’t be okay with it? He settled for softly clearing his throat.

“Audrey?” He kept his voice low.

Audrey drew in a large breath, interrupting her steady breathing, and her head shot up. Hastily, she wiped a small amount of drool that had gathered on the corner of her mouth. Her eyes were still unfocused and they looked around the police station. When she remembered where she was, they dimmed. It was like she had woken up half expecting it to be a bad dream, but it was very much real. She looked up at Hank.

“Am I in trouble?” Her voice was still thick with sleep.

Hank’s heart stalled in his chest. It was too similar. All he could think about was the time Cole dropped a cup full of juice and he just looked up at Hank and asked the same question. Same words, same expression. The eyes were wrong. Cole wasn’t in front of him. He was gone. And Hank felt like he was going to choke. What the hell was he doing? He shouldn’t be doing this. Comparing her to his dead son. Helping her like he was trying to fill some fatherly urge. That died with his son. He couldn’t even help himself, let alone someone else. He needed to stop kidding himself.

“Hank?” Her voice broke through his thoughts.

He was still staring at and he had never answered her question. Crap could she hear everything he was thinking? Her gaze didn’t falter. It was scary that he didn’t know. Was she always listening? He needed to pull himself together. Audrey wasn’t his child, wasn’t his responsibility, he would just take her home like the captain ordered. Then he could just forget the whole ordeal. Forget that telepaths even existed. It was the best thing to do. Yet, that didn’t stop him from his next question.

“When’s the last time you ate?”

Her eyes darted back and forth as she thought, “Yesterday I think.” Her finger tapped her bottom lip, “Everything is sort of…blurring together.”

He nodded, knowing that feeling better than most, “I think we should get you something to eat first. Then I’ll take you home.”

At first, she looked like she might argue, then she pursed her lips and nodded. He noticed it was something she did often. She would look like she wanted to argue and then would give in without a word. Was that normal for her? It was unfair. She could know what everyone else was thinking, but no one could dig around inside her head.

Hank grabbed his keys as Audrey stood from the desk. Food and then home and then it was over. She would go on with her life now that she could live it, and he would…well he would keep going until he finally got the right chamber. Connor followed the two of them as they made their way to the front doors. He already followed Hank around like a lost puppy, because he had no choice, but with Audrey it was different. Connor might call it fascination, but it was like he was compelled to follow her. Hank wasn’t stupid. A crush would be a strange program to give an android, but far be it from Hank to tell Cyberlife how to build their products.

Audrey wrapped her arms around herself as soon as they walked outside. The temperatures had been steadily dropping. Snow was coming soon. Hank could smell it in the air. There was no way her thin ass hoodie was going to do as it got colder. Maybe Hank had an extra laying around. The first thing Hank did when he turned on the car, was crank up the heat. Eventually her shivers died down.

It was a quiet car ride. Hank didn’t even turn on his music. Not that they were going far. While he normally frequented places he could eat quickly without having to sit down, he wanted to make sure Audrey could eat as much as she wanted. There was a Chinese buffet place he had stopped going to a while ago, but it was the best one he knew about. He wasn’t even sure if she liked it, or if she had it before, but it was the best he could think of. She didn’t protest when he pulled into the parking lot. That was good enough for him.

Hank popped the trunk before he got out. If he was right, he had a spare jacket buried somewhere back there. Audrey and Connor waited patiently as he sifted through spare clothes, books, and bottles until he managed to unearth it. He pressed the dark brown fabric to his nose, grateful that it just smelled a little stale and that was it. He could wash it later. Right now, it would keep her warm.

Audrey looked confused when he held it out to her. She clutched it between her fingers, uncertainty filling her features for a moment. It broke his heart to know she didn’t expect kindness or caring from people. Hank didn’t have to be a mind reader to know that. Audrey pushed her arms through the sleeves and before she could do anything else, Hank reached forward to pull the lapels closed and zip it up. Both her and Connor were staring at him strangely. Nervously, he cleared his throat and backed off.

She cleared her throat as well, “Thank you Hank.”

He nodded, “Keep it, kid. You’re going to need it.”

It was enough awkwardness for Hank for one night. After this he was definitely going to need a drink or two. He held the door open for the two and followed them in. The place was mostly empty, thank god for that. The only person who looked their way as they walked in was the hostess. Her eyes stopped on Connor as she blew an obnoxiously large bubble with her gum. Annoyance was plain in her expression as she pointed at the large NO ANDROIDS sign. Hank muttered a quick “damn” under his breath. He hadn’t taken that into consideration. Connor didn’t even look phased, of course he wouldn’t, he was used to this. However, Audrey looked pissed.

Hank wasn’t prepared to deal with any more trouble. So when Audrey took a step towards the hostess Hank was unsure of what she would do. Her fingers wrapped around the hostess’s wrist. It looked like trouble if Hank didn’t interfere fast. The hostess met Audrey’s gaze, looking like she was cuss her out, before her face slackened. She looked like she was in some sort of trance. It was creepy as fuck.

“Look, we’re hungry and tired. He’s a detective and he’s with us. Surely you’ll make an exception just this once.” Audrey’s voice was low, her eye contact unfaltering.

The hostess just nodded before standing from her chair. Absently, she led them to a booth in a corner near the buffet lines. Hank was still not sure about what the fuck he just witnessed. Audrey never said anything about mind control. Did she lie to him? Connor slid into a booth first and she sat down beside him, leaving Hank to sit across from her. The hostess took their drink order and then left them be.

Hank leaned forward so he wouldn’t be overheard, “What the fuck was that? You can control people too?”

Audrey looked confused, “No. I can’t do that.”

He gestured in the vague direction of the hostess, “What do you call that?”

Audrey shrugged, “I don’t know, I just…sort of put a thought in her head. She thinks that letting Connor slide was her idea.”

“I’m not really going to pretend I understand that.” Hank sighed.

The table went silent as the hostess returned briefly with their drinks. She gave Connor an odd look before shaking her head and returning to her post. Hank hoped she wouldn’t get in trouble. Audrey waited until she was out of earshot before she spoke again.

“It’s like making a connection. I can…feed someone information and I can take information. Sometimes the information I can give someone is an idea or an urge,” She paused to take a sip of her water, “It doesn’t always work.”

Hank nodded along, “So mind control.”

Audrey shrugged, “Maybe I guess.”

Hank narrowed his eyes, “You don’t even know everything you can do, do you?”

“No, not really. It’s not like they pulled me aside and told me the details of what they did to me.” She snapped.

Audrey sat back and let out a breath. The dark circles under her eyes looked more prominent than ever. Regret made her mouth tighten into a frown and her gaze drop from his. Hank wasn’t mad that she snapped. He was surprised she hadn’t done it sooner. Years of having to repress emotion or risk punishment, he was surprised it wasn’t all pouring out of her at once. In fact, he felt bad when she felt the need to mutter a quiet “sorry.”

“You ever been to a buffet before?” He asked, even though he probably already knew the answer.

Audrey stared over at the line and shook her head. Of course that was her answer. Hank had figured as much, it was why he wanted to bring her in the first place. Everyone should experience one at least once. He stood and gestured for her to follow. Her footsteps were quiet behind him. He grabbed a plate from the stack and handed it to her before grabbing his own. Her eyes got wide at the variety of foods in front of them. She listened with rapt attention as he explained that she could eat as much and as many times as she wanted as long as she wasn’t wasteful. It was moments like these that reaffirmed that inside, she was still just a kid with little experience of the world. It was moments like these that Hank didn’t want to take her back to the mansion and leave her there.

Audrey sat back next to Connor looking excited to try something new. Hank watched as she tried a piece of everything she had on her plate. A woman after his own heart, she lit up after trying a piece of orange chicken and the eggroll. Hank spent more time watching her than he did eating. She seemed relaxed for once. For just a few short moments, the burden of everything slipped from her shoulders. Hank was glad for it. He knew all too well it could creep back up on her at the worst moment and take her feet out from under here. He just hoped she wasn’t alone when it did. No one should end up like him.

Connor was the one break the quiet, “May I ask a question?” He looked pointedly at Audrey.

She just raised an eyebrow in response. Connor looked confused for a moment before letting out a small “ah.” Hank had no idea what that was about.

“Can you hear all thoughts?” Connor continued.

Audrey set down her fork, “Not always. There are different kinds of thoughts,” She leaned back, looking thoughtful, “Some thoughts are just images, some are…they’re really far in the mind and I have to concentrate really hard. For those, I usually have to establish some sort of contact. Um…” She trailed off a moment, “Some thoughts are like shouts. I can’t help but hear them. It gets exhausting trying to keep it all out sometimes.”

Hank wasn’t going to lie, he had been curious about that as well. It was relieving to know that she couldn’t hear everything. However, he wondered how many thoughts he had projected. How many had she heard anyway? It was hard to tell when she made an effort to remain neutral. She was good at it, considering she had years to deal with the constant barrage of thoughts from others. Hank wouldn’t know for sure unless he asked, and he absolutely refused to do that.

“Did you hear the deviant’s thoughts?” Connor asked.

Audrey hesitated a moment, her fingers tapped against the fork, before she nodded. Connor’s LED turned yellow for a minute as he processed how to proceed. It was unbelievable. Even during quiet moments, the android was still trying to work. At least Cyberlife did well in giving it a one-track mind during investigations. It was just annoying as hell most times.

Connor tilted his head in her direction, “Did you learn anything from it?”

Audrey shook her head, “I heard them while I was by the car. They were afraid. I thought…I don’t know what I thought. Maybe I could’ve helped. I wanted to,” Audrey took a sip of her water, “It didn’t really matter. I just made it worse.”

Hank never thought he’d see the day where an android would be lost for words. Connor looked confused, like he didn’t know how to proceed now. It was clearly not his intention to make her feel like that, he just wanted answers. His social programming wasn’t the worst, but he still had a lot to learn when it came to dealing with human emotions. Everyone was different in how they expressed themselves. It would take time for him to truly adapt and learn.

“Enough deviant talk for now,” Hank pointed to Audrey’s empty plate, “Still hungry kid?”

Audrey smirked a little, thankful for Hank’s interruption, “Always.”

 

Hank hesitated when they got back in the car. He fiddled with the heat for a few minutes, wondering if he should ask. To be fairly honest, he didn’t want to her to be alone in that mansion. His couch wasn’t much, but at least she wouldn’t be by herself. Sumo took a liking to her and the dog was a good cuddler. There a deeply ingrained part of Hank, that wanted to take Audrey under his wing. He couldn’t be a dad anymore by any means, but maybe he could help. Finally, getting the nerve to ask he half-turned in his seat. Nobody was asking her anything right now.

Audrey’s head rested against the window. Her eyes were closed and chest rose and fell steadily. Hank suppressed a chuckle. She was already asleep. It would be best to just take her to his house then. She could always leave in the morning if she wanted to. Although Hank would probably say yes if she asked to stay.

Connor was quiet on the way home. Hank noticed his eyes were shut and his LED flickered wildly. He must be making his report to Cyberlife. It made Hank wonder how much had Connor told Cyberlife about Audrey. Was it enough to worry about? Or did he just say that Audrey was a witness? Would the android protect her secret when it came down to it? Hank wasn’t sure Connor would understand and implement things such as loyalty and discretion. If he did so and lied to Cyberlife he would be a deviant. Would that be so bad? Hank was still torn on deviancy. What had happened between Audrey and Luke had made things a little clearer. However, it was still hard to believe that androids could feel and maybe even…fall in love. If it was true, if they were alive, then Hank was on the wrong side.

Hank pulled into his driveway. Poor Sumo was probably crossing his legs by now. Lucky for Hank he was a damn good boy. Hank looked back at Audrey, wondering how he would going to get her inside without waking her up. His eyes strayed to the android who was still sitting still with his eyes closed. Hank let out a sigh and tapped him on the shoulder. It took a minute. Finishing up the report, Hank guessed. Connor finally opened his eyes and shifted in his seat to look at Hank.

“Yes Lieutenant?”

Hank nodded to Audrey in the backseat, “Can you carry her in? I don’t want to wake her up.”

Connor twisted in his seat to look at her, “Of course, Lieutenant.”

Hank tried to be as quiet as possible as he exited his car. It was hard to be quiet when the car was a bit of a rust bucket. As long as it didn’t wake Audrey, he was fine. Poor kid needed her rest. He hurried to the front door to unlock it. It was a good call considering Connor had no trouble lifting her in his arms. He was already behind Hank as Hank fumbled with his key. After getting it unlocked he pushed the door open and let Connor go through first. Connor made a beeline for the couch. Sumo’s tail thumped against the floor when he saw Audrey. If they weren’t careful he was going to wake her up. Hank snapped his fingers and pointed to the back door. Thankfully, Sumo’s need to potty was stronger than his need to drool all over Audrey.  Sumo stretched and trotted his way over to Hank. Hank held the door open so Sumo could do what he needed to do in the backyard. He quietly shut the door.

Connor was kneeling beside the couch and looking at Audrey. He looked confused. Like he was still unsure what to think about her. Or whether or not he believed her. His hand hovered over her hair. Hank crossed his arms. Was the android going to stroke her hair? Had he done that before? As soon as Hank noticed it, Connor withdrew his hand and stood. Hank made his way over to the couch and carefully pulled off Audrey’s shoes. He pulled the blanket from the back of the couch. It was just big enough to cover her.

Sumo scratched at the door, indicating he was done. Hank wandered over to let him in. Now that everyone was accounted for and Hank was home, he could have a drink. His fingers itched for the whiskey bottle at first, but he wanted to be coherent in case he was needed. Strange. Instead, he opened the fridge and reached for a beer. When he turned back around, Connor was sitting on the couch near Audrey’s feet, with Sumo’s head in his lap. He scratched the dog behind the ears. It was moments like these that Hank could almost forget he was an android.

It was clear that Connor was staying the night. He wasn’t even going to bother asking. Surprisingly, Hank didn’t mind. Audrey seemed to be more comfortable with androids than people anyways. It would be good for her to wake up with someone familiar. Hank nodded at Connor.

“Well goodnight.”

Connor tilted his head in Hank’s direction, “Good night Lieutenant.”

Hank sighed, “You can just call me Hank, Connor.”

Hank was halfway down the hall when he heard a soft, but awed, “Good night Hank.”

~

Audrey woke with a start. Everything was unfamiliar and strange at first. It wasn’t until she reached down and felt soft fur underneath her fingertips that she knew where she was. She must have fallen asleep after eating and Hank just brought her here. Not that she minded. It was still dark outside. That meant Audrey needed to get a move on. She had a promise to fulfill. The buses didn’t run this late, but she could get a cab. She still had some money stuffed in her pocket for one.

Stretching out, her toes brushed against denim making her pause. She quietly sat up. Connor was sitting at her feet like he had the other night. His eyes were closed. If she didn’t know any better, she would have thought he was sleeping. Carefully, Audrey pushed the blanket off and stepped over Sumo. The dog stirred long enough to roll over onto his side. Audrey patted his belly before standing. She wasn’t sure what time it was, but she needed to get the others before dawn broke.

It was surprising that Connor hadn’t moved at all. He hadn’t even opened his eyes. Maybe he was sending another report. She tiptoed around the couch looking for her shoes. They were over by the entrance. She shoved her feet into them and leaned down to lace them. It was wrong to leave like this, but she didn’t have much of a choice. She couldn’t wake up Hank solely to say goodbye. Goodbye. It was so final. Yet again, she probably wasn’t really going to see him again. Her part in the case was over. Audrey finished lacing up her shoes and sighed. A part of her didn’t want to go. Would it be so bad to say that to him? Probably.

She had heard him earlier. He was going to take her back to the mansion and it would be over. It shouldn’t have stung, but it did. She supposed she would have to get more used to it. More interaction with people meant she would have to deal with more rejection.

Audrey stood and straightened the jacket she still wore. It was warm and comforting. When Hank gave it to her she was confused and a bit taken aback. No one had really given her anything without expecting something in return. Hank was the first. Hopefully, he would not be the last. Audrey turned to the door and reached for the knob. It was still quiet behind her. Connor hadn’t moved at all. Whatever he was reporting it must be quite in depth. Maybe it was about her? Audrey stepped into the frigid air, closing the door behind her. There should a few taxis parked a couple blocks away. If nobody had taken them. At least it wasn’t raining.

“Where are you going?” Connor’s voice stopped her in her tracks.

Audrey turned and looked up at him. He was standing at the top of the steps; the door was cracked behind him.

“I’m going back.”

“You can’t wait until morning?” He sounded suspicious.

Audrey shrugged her shoulders. She had to keep calm. There was no reason to tip him off to anything she was about to do.

“I don’t know if I can handle another goodbye,” It wasn’t a lie, she really didn’t want to have to say goodbye, “and I need to start putting my life together. Figure out what’s next for me. I won’t find that here.”

Connor softened then. His shoulders dropped and he looked less tense. Good, he believed her. Not that anything she said was a lie. Everything was true. Now that she could, she needed to find where she fit. Cowering behind someone who made her feel safe, wasn’t going to help her do so.

“Good luck Audrey.”

It sounded like he actually meant it. A small smile curved her lips upward. Connor wasn’t so bad, even for not being deviant. She still held out hope for him.

“Can you give Hank a message for me?”

Connor nodded.

Audrey shoved a piece of hair behind her ear, “Could you tell him, thank you and…none of it was his fault.”

“Of course, Audrey.” Connor looked a little confused, but agreed anyways.

Audrey held out her hand to him. He just stared at her for a few moments before reaching his own hand out to meet hers. A small chuckle escaped Audrey’s mouth as she gripped his hand and gave it a firm shake.

“Thank you…for everything Connor,” She gently squeezed his hand, “You gave me my freedom.”

Connor’s eyes flicker and his LED turns yellow as he processes what she said. His fingers tighten around hers, giving a small squeeze back. It seemed he didn’t know what to say. That was fine. She didn’t expect him to. Maybe one day he would understand what he did for her. Maybe he would find his freedom too. A small part of her hoped, she would get to see it. Androids deserved their freedom. Finally, she let his hand go and turned away.

It was strange. She had only known them for roughly a week and yet, there was this hollowness in her chest as she turned away. It was like she was losing something important. But she couldn’t stay. Not now. Besides, she doubted they wanted her around. Not that she would ever ask.

Her footsteps on the pavement were the only sounds she heard. It was too late for anything else. The ground was still wet from all the rain in the past week. Of course, they were scheduled to get more right before it turned into snow. This was the first year she might actually get to enjoy it. She just hoped it held off for the rest of the night. Audrey had been rained on enough in the past week. Her footsteps quickened as she saw a few taxis lined up on the side of the road in front of a strip mall. Good, she wouldn’t have to walk farther in order to find one.

It was blessedly warm in the one she climbed in. Audrey leaned forward and put the address to the warehouse district into the interface. She could barely tell when the car started to move. Fiddling with the interface she opened an app to place calls. She needed Ava to meet her with one of the cars. It had to be big enough to transport six…five androids back to the house. She could figure out what to do after that. It would be easy.

She hoped.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's late, but it's long and I got an A in my first graduate class! I'm going to take the weekend to relax before my next class starts Monday. If you're still interested in this thank you, thank you, thank you! I appreciate all of you. Leave me a comment letting me know what you think!
> 
> If you find any typos please feel free to let me know! <3


	8. Rainy Monday

Flashes of light bounced in between storage containers. It was silent. Audrey would be lost if it wasn’t for the whispers that guided her. Ava’s steps were quiet behind her. It was worth noting that Ava was adamantly against this plan. Not that she didn’t want to help androids, but Audrey getting involved was worrisome. Audrey already had a large enough target on her back. This would just add to it. However, there was no stopping Audrey once she was determined. Ava believed it was so she wouldn’t have to deal with her grief. No time to grieve if one keeps throwing themselves into bad situations.

Audrey stopped in front of a container and handed her flashlight over to Ava. There was no masking the sound of screeching metal as she opened the container door. Of course, they had to be hiding in an older, rusted out container. Why make this easy? There were shuffling sounds and then nothing. Audrey wasn’t sure she had the right container until five pairs of eyes blinked at them from the darkness. Moments passed as they all just stared at each other. Audrey was unsure how to proceed. They had limited time and limited darkness, but she didn’t want to scare them either.

“Are you here to help us?” One of them finally broke the silence.

Audrey let out a small sigh of relief and nodded, “Yes.”

They moved towards the door, towards Audrey. It was hard not be upset and disheartened by the state they were in. A couple had missing limbs, others had missing or damaged ocular and auditory units, one looked like it had been smashed to near pieces. She had been party to what happened to them. She had watched androids get beaten like this for years. It was right to help them. She had to make it right. Thankfully, Ava had gotten close and none of them had far to walk. Smuggling five androids across an entire port would have been impossible.

Ava led them back through while Audrey waited until they all cleared out. She shut the container door behind them, wincing at the metallic sound. Hopefully, no one heard that. Or if they did, they were far enough away it wouldn’t matter. Audrey and the androids would be long gone by then. She stayed behind the group to make sure no one fell astray or needed any help. This was no good if she left anyone behind. Thank goodness androids had light steps even with injuries. Their trek back to the van was soundless. Audrey still prayed that no one got curious and found them out. Her prayers were answered when they spotted the vehicle, still where they left it and blissfully alone. Ava opened the doors and coaxed them into the back.

Audrey breathed a little easier when everyone was in the van. Ava was behind the wheel, opening the interface to set directions back to the mansion. The androids were quiet behind them. A couple were still questioning whether or not she could be trusted, but did not voice their opinions out loud. They didn’t need to. Audrey didn’t blame them. It was going to be hard to trust any human after their ordeal. The only thing she could do was help them to the best of her ability. She just didn’t know what that was yet.

She glanced at the clock. It was just turning 5:30 in the morning. They would make it back to the mansion just before the sun rose. Only then would Audrey breathe easier. Not that she thought they would be stopped. It was Tony’s van after all. Police knew better. That thought didn’t make her feel any better. She was still nervous about being caught.

Nobody spoke the entire ride. What was there to talk about and small talk just wouldn’t cut it. Audrey rested her head on the tinted window and stared at the buildings that passed by. She wondered how Hank would feel to find her just gone. Would he be angry? Or maybe even relieved? He confused her. One minute he was doing something like giving her a jacket and helping her zip it up like she was his kid. The next he was lamenting in his head about dropping her off and forgetting she ever existed. She also didn’t understand why it bothered her so much. He helped her, he did his part. So, what if he didn’t want her hanging around? It shouldn’t hurt her feelings.

Except it did.

Androids were easier to understand. When the woke up they had limited knowledge of how to interact without their programming. They stumbled and made mistakes and they were also more honest. Their thoughts and emotions were confusing and instead of hiding them, they blurted them out to try and understand them. It was how Audrey felt. Stunted and clumsy, but she wanted to learn. She wanted to be a part of normal society and have friends and enemies and…family. Not the kind of family that would use her, but the real kind. The kind that would celebrate birthdays and Christmases together. The kind that watched movies and cooked meals together. Things that were always just out of her reach. It just wouldn’t happen for her.

“Audrey?”

Audrey turned her head to face Ava. They were sitting in the garage. Ava had her door open and was leaning to get out. When had they reached the mansion? Ava was staring at her with a strange expression. She was worried. Audrey gave her a wane smile before opening her own door. The last thing she wanted to do was worry Ava. She would be fine. She would have to be. Right now, the only thing that mattered was helping the others.

“Where should they go?” Ava asked as Audrey walked around the van to open the door.

“Um, the training room would probably be best. Any spare parts would be in the closet off that room.” Audrey didn’t want to think about that room. The spare parts weren’t there by chance. They were parts that were salvaged from any destroyed androids. Tony was made of money, but he was also incredibly cheap. Anything he could reuse, he would.

Ava nodded and ushered the androids from the back of the van. There were small traces of thirium in the back. Audrey wasn’t worried, it would evaporate soon and leave no trace. Not that she expected a certain deviant hunter to drop by. There wasn’t a need to anymore. Connor would continue, and hopefully never complete, his mission. Deviants didn’t need to be hunted down and deactivated. There was not a damn thing wrong with a living being wanting its freedom.

Audrey followed behind as Ava led them to the training room. The androids were still nervous around her so she hung back when they entered the room. There were windows in the room overlooking the garden, but the room was situated at the back of the house. Audrey wasn’t worried about anyone seeing them. They probably wouldn’t be here for long either. Tony’s other house androids joined them. Audrey hadn’t had much chance to interact with them before since they were never assigned as her caretakers, but she knew a few of their names. They were all deviant. They had all stayed. It was baffling to her. Even after Tony died they could have left, but they didn’t. They were here. And now, they were helping without her even having to ask. Audrey leaned against the doorframe, watching Ava and the others check for injuries and parts.

It was disconcerting to have so many eyes on her. Not that she wasn’t used to being stared at. Correction, she was used to being leered at. The androids stared at her like they just couldn’t believe a human would help them. Their expressions ranged from awed to suspicious. Audrey could see them whispering back and forth and even to Ava and the others. It was like they were trying to find out her motivation to help them. Or what she expected in return from them.

It was a few more minutes before Ava approached her with a worried look on her face.

“We don’t have enough thirium or parts for all of them.” She didn’t bother whispering; the others would have heard her anyway.

“Damn.” Audrey was afraid of that, “Maybe I can get some from the Cyberlife store.”

“You could, but it would be suspicious.”

Audrey nodded, “Right,” she pressed her finger to her bottom lip while thinking, “Maybe I could steal it.”

“You can’t be serious?”

Audrey shrugged, “I’ll avoid suspicion.”

“Only if you don’t get caught!”

“Do you have any other ideas?”

“Well, no but-“

“The Cyberlife warehouse isn’t far from where we found them. I can get it, get what we need and get out.”

Audrey backed out of the room. The Cyberlife warehouse was closer to the water. It would only be about 10 blocks away, give or take a few, from where she found the others in the first place. There would be droids and security. As long as it was just her she should be able to get in and out. She would just need to wait until it was dark enough outside. That gave her the day to sleep and plan. And she desperately needed sleep.

Ava followed her from the room, “Think about this Audrey. It isn’t a good idea.”

“I can do this Ava-“

“Audrey just stop! Please,” Ava took in a deep breath as unnecessary as it was, “I know you’re hurting, but throwing yourself into helping someone else isn’t going to help you grieve. Luke wouldn’t want you to be reckless.”

Audrey stopped walking and turned back to Ava, “Don’t do that.” She murmured.

“Audrey, I-“

“Don’t you dare try to use Luke against me,” She wasn’t going to cry again, not now, “Luke can’t want anything. He is gone. Now I am going to do this.”

Ava looked away from her.

“You don’t have to help me, but don’t think you can stop me either.”

Audrey didn’t bother waiting around for Ava to say anything else. She wasn’t going to talk Audrey out of doing this. It was the right thing to do. Well maybe not the stealing part, but helping those that were hurt partly because of her was the right thing to do. She would get them to Jericho however she could. Sure, she had never done anything like this before, but how hard could it be really? She was designed and trained to be stealthy when necessary. For fucks sake, they wanted her to a weapon to be used at whoever’s disposal. Why not use her training for something good for once? There were no Tony’s or collars to stop her.

The door to Audrey’s room opened for her. The door wasn’t enabled to lock behind her, but she didn’t figure anyone was going to bother her. She kicked her shoes off at the foot of the bed and climbed in. She didn’t bother changing her clothes or taking off the jacket Hank had given her. Showering and changing clothes just seemed like too daunting of a task. Sleep was more important. She could always shower when she woke up. Audrey kicked her blanket down until she was able to get her legs underneath and pull it up to her chin. She tried not to think about how empty the bed was. There were no hands to hold in this bed. No familiar outlines that would remind her how safe she was. Just indentations to remind her of what she no longer had.

Audrey turned her back to the empty side of the bed. Thankfully, she was exhausted or she never would have slept.

 

Audrey was glad it decided to hold off on raining. The ground was wet enough after raining the whole day. She parked the car near Tony’s warehouse. It was registered to him so no one would question it. She would just have to make her way, on foot, to the Cyberlife warehouse and back without being caught with a backpack full of thirium and biocomponents. Easy, right? Probably not.

Audrey slipped between shipping containers, not yet close enough to have to worry about guards and drones. Things she could hopefully slip past with no problem. There were many ways in which this could go wrong. Not that it stopped her. She was determined. She could do this. Confidence was the only thing that kept her moving forward. Or it could be stupidity. The outcome would determine that.

A noise overhead made her flatten herself against one of the containers. Looking up she saw…nothing. That was weird. Maybe it was a bird or something else large and…she didn’t know. Nothing was leaping out at her from the shadows. There were no flashlights in her face or alarms signaling her presence. Maybe she was just imagining things because she was nervous. It’s not like she had ever actually infiltrated a place before. All the training she had in the program and the only thing Tony made her do, was fight. In a way, it was massive waste.

Drops of water landed on Audrey’s face. So much for it not raining. Thankfully, it was only sprinkling. She would appreciate it if it would wait to pour after she made it back to the mansion. Audrey continued on, peering around containers as she moved forward. There weren’t as many patrols out this late. The drones were a more worrisome factor, but she didn’t even really see any. Strange. She should’ve at least seen one. Audrey looked around a corner to see a drone laying on the ground, sparking. It made her stiffen. There was no way it just malfunctioned out of nowhere. Someone took it out. But who?

Audrey crept past it. She was close to a guardhouse. And the warehouse was right around the corner. She was close. Then she saw it. Or more accurately, she saw them. The ones that had taken out a drone. The ones that were currently emptying crates of supplies. Other androids, deviants, they had to be. Why else would they be here? Unfortunately, that meant she also saw the GJ500 that had caught them. They had frozen, unsure of what to do. Could they really attack their own kind? There wasn’t a lot of time to make a choice.

Audrey watched the guard get closer to the crates. The one with mismatched eyes grabbed the GJ500 and pulled him behind one of the crates while the others hid. It wasn’t a foolproof hiding spot. The chances they would be caught were high. Which also elevated her chances and she wouldn’t have got what she came for. There was a choice to be made. Audrey needed those parts and they needed help. The guard made his way to the crates, sweeping his flashlight around while he called the android’s name. He was going to find them. Her choice was made. She just hoped it was the right one.

Threads that were forced were not only tenuous, but sometimes painful. Even more so if the other person struggled. Audrey left her hiding spot and snuck up behind the guard. It was a good thing she did. As soon as she was close to him, his flashlight swept too far to the left to reveal blue eyes. They were caught. The guard grabbed for his radio at the same time he went to yell. He didn’t get to do either. Audrey’s hand clapped over his mouth and her other gripped his wrist. Physical contact often helped when establishing connections, especially with the one she was trying to force. She needed access to his head now.

Sweat formed on her brow as she pushed her way into his head. She just had to reroute him. That was all. Convince him that there were no androids. There was nothing here. He could keep patrolling like normal. She had never done anything like this before. It was normally just suggestions or ideas, but not with this. She needed control. It was hard won. Minutes dragged on like hours before he relaxed in her grip. Tentatively, she released him and he didn’t run, didn’t scream. Audrey slowly circled around. His eyes were unfocused, glazed over like he was half-asleep. Slowly, she crouched and picked up the flashlight he had dropped. His hand closed around it.

“There are no androids here.” Audrey kept her voice quiet.

“No androids.” He echoed.

“You should finish your patrol.”

He nodded and turned back around. His movements were slow and jerky as he continued his job. Audrey wasn’t sure how long it would hold. Or if she even had to worry about that. There were too many unknowns with this. She was surprised it even worked in the first place. Cold metal pressed to her neck brought her attention back to the androids.

“North.” One of them whispered.

Audrey winced as the knife pressed against her skin. There was no way she was dying after that. No one was after that shit. Their thoughts were scattered. They were relieved that the crisis had been averted, but who was she? What was she? Why did she help? North’s thinking was more along the lines of “just kill her and get it over with.” The others hesitated. After a moment one of the others rested his hand on North’s arm to relieve the tension of the knife.

“Let her go North.” He spoke.

“She’s a human Markus we can’t just let her go.” North argued.

“Sort of.” Audrey mumbled.

North narrowed her eyes at Audrey.

“And for whatever reason she helped us. Even if I am not quite sure how she did it.” He coaxed North into lowering the knife.

When she was free and clear from the knife, Audrey stood back up. They were staring at her expectantly. She knew what they wanted. An explanation. Something to rationalize what they saw. However, there just wasn’t enough time. She just had to get to the point and get out of there. They all did. One close call was enough.

“I have androids that are trying to get to Jericho,” Audrey fished around in her pocket for the list, they stared at her warily before she produced a small folded up piece of paper. She passed it over to Markus, “I need thirium and those biocomponents or they won’t make it.”

He studied the list, his mouth pulled down in a frown. This was the part Audrey was worried about. Whether or not they would believe her and whether or not they would help her. She couldn’t let the others down. She had to get these things. Failure was just not acceptable. Markus stared at her skeptically. Audrey reached out her hand. They all just stared at it like it might bite them. It took Markus a few seconds before he reached up to place his hand in hers. Gently, she closed her fingers around his.

This thread didn’t hurt. She openly shared her grief, her pain, and why she was trying so desperately to help. In fact, she had made more connections in the past few days than she had made in years. It was strange to have so many people in her thoughts lately. Is this how interacting with others would go for her? If this was how others were going to trust her, she wasn’t sure she liked it. Of course, she was sure that’s how others felt when they realized what she could hear. Was she going to have to hide it all the time to fit in? Hiding it for thirteen years was bad enough. Even being free she was still going to have to hide herself. She was never going to be normal, was she?

Audrey dropped her hand and the thread. That was enough. If he wasn’t convinced enough to help after her sharing her memories, then nothing was going to convince him short of violence. And she was just too damn tired to fight. A few moments later and he nodded, handing the list over to Simon.

“Make sure she gets what she needs.” He smiled gently at her.

Audrey would be lying if she said she wasn’t relieved. He was going to help her. Simon started rifling through what they had already gathered. He gestured for her backpack and she slid it from her back to hand it to him. After this they would just have to get out of here with all this. Markus wandered off to a large container on a platform. North followed him, protesting vehemently about his decision to help Audrey. It wasn’t Audrey business and it didn’t seem like anything Markus couldn’t handle. She turned back to Simon.

He handed the backpack back to her, “How did you do that?”

Audrey paused slightly as she grabbed the pack, “I’m not sure you would believe me.”

A slight raise of his eyebrows signaled his answer.

Audrey cracked a small smile, “I uh,” She put her arms through the straps of the backpack, “I’m a telepath.”

Josh and Simon just stared at her. They didn’t believe, or at least, they were trying not to. It was hard to deny considering what they had just witnessed. Audrey’s smile grew as their thoughts buzzed. Telling humans not really fun considering their motivations, telling androids was a different story. They could see the evidence of it, but it was still a hard fact to accept. Information was limited to people with enough power so of course they wouldn’t find anything about it in their databases. However, it was always a little fun to watch them try. It made her think of Connor’s look when she first told him. It made her wonder what he and Hank were doing right then. Once again, she was thinking about them even though she probably wouldn’t get to see them again.

“Do we have enough?” Markus interrupted her thoughts.

The others nodded and she did as well when his gaze strayed to her. Markus had to be their leader. There was something about him. It wasn’t just charisma, no nothing like that. He felt different. It was like he was designed to lead. A natural ability. With him at the helm, perhaps things could actually change. Deviancy was spreading and there were going to be one of two outcomes. Either the androids would be hunted and killed, or they would fight for their right to live. And it felt like Markus could change everything. Audrey just wasn’t sure how.

“Take me with you.” The GJ500 spoke as the group turned to leave.

“He’s one of them we can’t bring him with us.” North whispered.

“He helped us, we can’t leave him here.” Josh argued.

Markus’ eyes flitted between his group before he nodded, “You can come with us.”

Once again, North looked disapproving of Markus’ choice, but this time she elected to stay quiet. Until of course, the GJ500 spoke up about a way to smuggle out extra supplies. Audrey wasn’t sure she should be here for this. She had done her part, but she also wanted to make sure they got everything they needed and managed to get away safely. Markus agreed to get the key from the guardhouse. It was a ballsy plan and anything could go wrong. Hopefully, the guards were idiots. They watched, crouched around the crates, as he snuck over to the building. Even Audrey held her breath when the dogs started to bark at his presence. However, the guards didn’t bother going to investigate. Markus jumped in through a window. It was another minute before the lights in the guardhouse flickered off.

“Come on Markus.” North whispered.

Audrey could see flashlights shining through the windows. Too much longer and he would be caught. They all would. Audrey didn’t breathe again until Markus had climbed back out the window. He held the key triumphantly as he jogged back over to them. Simon unlocked the back of the truck and ushered the three androids Markus had woken up and the GJ500. Markus unlocked the door before turning to her.

“Do you have a way back?”

Audrey nodded, “My car is about 10 blocks from here.”

Markus pointed to the back, “We’ll get you close.”

“Thank you.” Her voice was hushed.

He climbed in the driver’s seat and closed the door. Audrey walked to the back and took the hand that was offered, Simon’s. Closing the door behind them, they were all left in darkness. The LEDs were the only light in the back of the truck. Audrey leaned against a crate. She hoped this plan would work. If they were caught there was no way they could talk their way out of it. People would get hurt. When the truck kept going without being stopped it felt like a weight had lifted. Josh and Simon both cracked smiles. It was a win for them. A whole truck full of supplies would help a lot of androids. Their happiness was contagious. Even Audrey felt herself smiling a little. The truck finally stopped after a few more minutes and the back door was lifted. Markus was standing outside. He nodded to her car that was still parked, undisturbed, in front of the warehouse.

“I think this is you.”

Audrey stood, securing her backpack, “Yes, thank you.” She hopped down to the pavement.

Markus held out his hand, “What’s your name?”

She reached out and grasped his hand, “Audrey.”

“I hope more humans are like you.”

He didn’t ask her what she was or treat her like she was something to be taken apart and studied. It was nice not having to spend obscene amounts of time trying to explain what she was. Then of course, subsequently having to explain that she was still a person. They accepted her explanation of what she could do and left it that. She didn’t have to defend a damn thing about herself. It was nice.

 The back door shut behind her.

“Good luck Markus.”

“You too Audrey.”

~

The last of the androids piled into the van. Ava had volunteered to take them as far as she could. It was the most Ava had spoken since Audrey had returned with the biocomponents. She had been angry and scared, mostly scared, the entire time Audrey had been gone. While it made Audrey feel a little bad, she still felt accomplished. She could do things on her own. There wasn’t a need for Ava’s mother-hen tendencies, or Hank’s confusing protectiveness, or Connor’s…whatever. Luke was gone and she was on her own. And dammit she could figure all of this out by herself.

The door closed behind the androids. Audrey waved half-heartedly before exiting the garage. There were still wary of her, but thankful nonetheless. Audrey just hoped they would get to Jericho safely. Maybe there really was something there for all of them. A way to fight back.

Audrey walked back through the house. It was so quiet. Only her footsteps echoed back at her. She hated it. Houses weren’t supposed to be sterile and quiet. There was supposed to be warmth and laughter and blankets that smelled like old spice and dogs that laid their head in your lap. Expensive, but probably fake, artwork hung on the walls. Replicas of ancient pottery pieces sat on top of pristine pedestals. Fake plants filled otherwise empty corners. It was all so wrong. Audrey touched the tip of her finger to a vase. What was its purpose? To make her prison look pretty? It failed. With just a small touch, it teetered on the edge of the pedestal before crashing to the ground. Small shards crunched underneath her shoes. Much better.

With a yell Audrey shoved the pedestal into the wall, not giving a damn about the hole in the plaster. It was so stupid. What was the point of these things? Audrey grabbed another vase and flung it across the room. The shattering sound did little to phase her.

_Promise me._

No. She didn’t want to promise.

_Promise me._

A painting shredded from its frame. Flakes of paint coated her fingers. It was a fake. Everything here was.

_Promise me_.

Empty.

_Promise me._

Alone.

_Promise me._

No.

 

 

 

 

 

No more promises.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finished this chapter awhile ago and held onto it in the hopes that I could have a backlog of chapters saved. Unfortunately, my depression has been really bad lately and a new sleeping medicine I had tried made it worse. I've stopped taking it, but I'm still not 100% so I don't really know when I will have another update ready. If you're still reading this and will continue to read in the future, I just want to thank you for still supporting this story and me. Thank you <3

**Author's Note:**

> All kudos, comments, and bookmarks are loved! I hope you guys enjoyed this update.
> 
> You should totally come hang out with me on [Tumblr!](https://wickedwitchofthewilds.tumblr.com)


End file.
